


Snow on the Road

by ApparentlyAda



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bad Puns, Bokuto is a vet, But I promise it's going to be really wholesome, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Some angst, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:53:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 52,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23396560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApparentlyAda/pseuds/ApparentlyAda
Summary: "So...You're Akaashi's soulmate, Tsukishima's as well, but not mine?", asked Kuroo with maybe more confusion than necessary. His heart was pounding and his control on the situation seemed to be diminishing."And you're Akaashi and Tsukishima's soulmate, but not mine", added Bokuto helpfully."And yet we've both still got one soulmate to find, while they don't."Kuroo dragged a hand through his messy bedhead. This was going to be far more complicated than he'd anticipated.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Tsukishima Kei, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Tsukishima Kei, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 341
Kudos: 628
Collections: Lovely Fics I gotta reread





	1. CHAPTER ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I was planning on writing this such an incredibly long time ago, it's uncanny. I wrote the plot for this story almost four years ago, for the Haikyuu!! Secret Santa, but the summary alone was 2000 words, so I never did get around to writing it and did something else for the Secret Santa instead.
> 
> In the meantime I've slipped out of the fandom, but due to the quarantine I started reading an old fic I loved and it all just came back and I realized "Oh shit, I definitely have to write this for some reason."
> 
> So here it is! After four long years of being out of the fandom, I'm returning with a story I'm genuinely hoping you'll enjoy, a story of accepting love and finding a place where you truly belong.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

**CHAPTER ONE**

_“So ethereal he was in my eyes, childlike wonder mixed with a devastating maturity when needed. His entire essence could be only compared to…”_

…To what? Would ask himself the confused writer, trying to find a comparison that would fit the love of his life. One of the three, apparently, but he only knew him and he was content with that. So enamored with him, and yet he was at a loss of words whenever he tried to find a suitable comparison. He found it tremendously difficult, even though he was a _writer_ – Perhaps a broken one, since this comparison had been on his mind for far too long and yet no answer lay ahead.

***

“Dude, you have no idea how glad I am to be finally working somewhere that my father doesn’t own! I’m finally living that independent life, you know, no one to breathe down on my neck constantly! This is huge, Kenma, and your lack of excitement truly breaks my heart!”, exclaimed a certain messy-haired man, sporting his formal attire and foundation covered soulmarks, on his way to a job that terrified him – but in a good way.

“Independent you say…Yet tell me who bought that suit, please?”

A defeated sigh. “My dad, but! I’ve stopped taking money from him! C’mon, be proud of me!”

“…You know I am. But what time is it? Shouldn’t you already be at work?”

“No, it’s only…”, Kuroo drifted off, taking a look at his watch, only to gasp in a way that was far too dramatic for Kenma’s taste. “Fuck, I should’ve been at work by now! I’ll call you later and tell you how it went, okay? I’ll see you soon!”

“Take care out there please. Now go!”, replied Kenma, terribly amused by his friend’s lack of punctuality.

Kuroo dashed towards the doors of the enormous building, garnering looks from everyone in the lobby, all but tripping over his feet in an attempt to get to the elevator. The fact that he had no idea where his office was had also slipped his mind until now, but he figured he’d remember in the elevator. Right now, that was his only goal.

He felt himself bumping into someone, dropping a quick “I’m terribly sorry, I’m late and I don’t know where I’m headed!” reminiscent to a certain white rabbit in a children’s book, until finally making it into the - thankfully empty - elevator.

The lawyer frantically pressed the buttons in order for the doors to close, just barely noticing a blond man holding up a hand, motioning for him to hold the elevator. He recognized him as the man he’d bumped into just seconds before.

As the man gracefully entered the elevator, Kuroo couldn’t help but apologize again. The blond ignored him however, and with just one deadpan expression he pressed the button for level one. Then for level two. Then he pushed all of the buttons, leaving them to aimlessly travel from level to level - Yep, Kuroo was fucked. He was going to be so very late.

“Look, I apologized already. It’s my first day here and I really didn’t want to be late. Guess that’s out the window however, huh?”, he told the man with a sigh, dragging a hand through his messy hair.

He wasn’t even that mad – That level of pettiness deserved recognition.

Silence. The man continued to ignore him, staring straight ahead. Glancing at him from the corner of his eyes, Kuroo raised an eyebrow, dramatically adding, in a tone more similar to that of a seventy year old man that of the twenty six year old that he was:

“You know, seeing such rudeness from the younger generation truly breaks my heart.”

To his surprise, the blond responded, with the same deadpan expression as before:

“That _hair_ is heartbreaking.”

Kuroo let out a shocked wheeze at the man’s response, but stopped sharply as he remembered something important.

***

It was nearing midnight and the only sound breaking the silence was his parents’ arguing, a few rooms back. Cuddled next to Kenma, neither of the boys dared to make a noise, staring aimlessly at his room lathered in darkness.

You see, every person turning seventeen gets the first words said to them by their soulmate tattooed on their wrist. It could be something simple, such as “Hey”, but it could also be something incredibly specific. And as the last seconds ticked towards the completion of the sixteenth year of his life, Kuroo was – understandably – nervous.

First things first, there was the chance of not having a soulmate. Second of all, he’d realized from a young age that he was not attracted to girls in any way, and yet he hadn’t come out to anyone, so what if his tattoo gave it away and he would have to tell his – frankly, not incredible – parents? His father would disown him and his mother, albeit never interested in him besides the few times he’d accomplished anything she could brag to her friends about, would definitely try to convince him that soulmates were bullshit and that he’d find a “nice girl” sooner or later.

His family was the perfect example of people completely disregarding soulmarks and marrying whoever they wanted – It was taboo, definitely, but his father was a man only interested in his firm and his mother was only interested in the money the firm provided her. There was no room for love between two greedy people.

But for some reason, Kuroo had always believed he’d be different: He’d get his soulmark, find his soulmate and live happily ever after. He had to. He wasn’t going to end up like his parents.

And yet, as the twelve beats of the expensive grandfather clock in the living room could be heard throughout his house, Kuroo could only feel apprehension.

Kenma was the first to break the silence with a hushed whisper.

“Look at it, you dork. What’s it say?”

He wanted to argue, ignore the mark, lather it with make-up until he was ready to see it maybe a few years later, but his best friend could be resilient and his curiosity was getting the best of him as well. Slowly but surely, he recovered his right arm from underneath the blanket, carefully peeling his sleeve down in order to peer at his wrist.

“What the fuck?”

Shock and confusion adorned Kuroo’s face, frozen in his tracks by the unexpected turn his soulmark had placed in his future.

“Show me! What is it?”, asked Kenma, riled up by the outburst.

“There’s…Three of them.”

“Three what? Three words? What are they?”

“…No, three…Soulmates. Look.”

Silence. Both boys were processing and yet neither had even heard of people having more than one soulmate before. A wordless Google search turned up polyamory, three or more people being in a loving relationship with each other. It was normal, apparently, and yet quite rare, especially in soulmarks.

“What do I do?”

Kuroo’s hands were messing up his hair even more by now and his fingernails would be chewed down until the end of the night, for sure, but he couldn’t stop himself. It felt like the entire world was collapsing on top of him: How would he explain it to his parents? Would he ever even find the three people? How would it work? So many questions were flooding his head and yet no answer was in sight. A barely audible sob racked his body as Kenma took him in for a hug, the birthday boy glancing once more at his full wrist:

_“Look, I’ve lost my pants, but at least I’ve found myself.”_

_“Hootini, don’t!”_

_“That hair is heartbreaking.”_

***

Those tattoos had given way to lots of speculation and to endless laughter after he’d accepted the reality of his three soulmates. Who was Hootini? Why was he being addressed as such? Would he meet one of his soulmates when they were pantless? And his hair – What _would_ be heartbreaking about his hair?

Well he’d finally found one answer to all of the questions racking his brain, at least.

Looking at the blond with eyes as wide as saucers, Kuroo lifted an eyebrow.

The man lifted an eyebrow back. Sheepishly, Kuroo rubbed the back of his head.

_“So…We’re soulmates I guess?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm in the process of editing the entire fic rn <3**
> 
> Alright, so this is the first chapter of many, I hope you enjoyed it and I think the second one will be up tomorrow! Don't worry, Bokuto and Akaashi will appear in about two to three chapters, so get ready for that too I guess haha. 
> 
> Either way, have a really nice day and I really really hope you'll join me on this trainwreck! <3


	2. CHAPTER TWO

**CHAPTER TWO**

_“He could only be compared to the sun, bright and yet deadly if you got close enough”_

No, no, no, what the fuck? How could his soulmate be deadly? He was bright – Kind, loving and gave him everything he could ever need, yes – But he had too good of a heart to ever be _deadly_. And the sun comparison was far overdone by now.

The writer sighed, dragging a hand through his soft locks and pondering banging his head on his desk as hard as he could. Would he ever figure it out?

***

“So…We’re soulmates I guess?”

Kuroo’s exhilaration at having found one of the three loves of his life was slowly turning into dread and insecurity as the man proceeded not to respond.

Was he not what he had expected? Did he not want him? Kuroo’s stomach tightened in knots. He dared to glance at him again. He was tall – intimidating, his presence alluring. His glasses formed a wall between him and the world, rendering him completely unreadable. He intrigued Kuroo. And he truly hoped he’d accept him – He didn’t seem like too bad company, not to mention that he was _hot_. But, despite being all calm and collected, was that the faintest hint of a blush he could notice on his face? _Adorable._

The man suddenly pushed his glasses up on his face and turned sharply towards Kuroo, curiosity hidden beneath apparent coldness:

“Can I see it?”

Despite the nerves, Kuroo smirked. “Aren’t you going to buy me dinner first?”

The blush returned to the man’s face more visibly. “The tattoo! You know what I was talking about, dumbass.”

Kuroo let out a tasteful chuckle that was actually more of a hyena’s laugh, rolling up his sleeves and exposing…Nothing.

“Oh! I, uh, covered them up for today, but maybe we could meet up after work for coffee and talk about it in more detail? I’m very curious to see yours too and I would really like to get to know you.”

The blond made a face not dissimilar to that of a severely constipated man.

“Look, I’m sure you’re a nice guy,” – Kuroo preened at that - “but we’re two quarters of a whole and I don’t think I want to get mixed up in anything like that.”

The blond looked at his feet, pondering what to say next, or perhaps how to say it.

“I mean, aren’t we better off alone and not forever looking for two more people we’ll probably never find? Not to mention that two dumb tattoos can’t mean that we’ll definitely fall in love, you know.”

Kuroo was split – He felt that he could somehow understand this man, he’d had those doubts too after all, but he knew he could convince him, he had to –

And yet they were soon heading to the last floor and that was probably where the blond man worked and oh God what if he never met him again –

It felt almost like they were moving in slow motion as the doors to the last floor opened and his soulmate took the first step towards the exit. Without thinking, Kuroo took hold of his – probably expensive – suit’s sleeve, looking deeply into his eyes. He probably looked like a madman, but he had to do his best. He’d waited so goddamn long for his soulmate and fuck it if he was going to let him go like that -

“Look, I get it if you don’t want anything to do with me. But give me a chance? Please? Let me take you out for coffee. Here’s my business card, just – Text me. Please.”

The man wordlessly took the card and left, Kuroo staring after him long after he was gone, long after the doors to the elevator had closed. He was all sorts of confused, but he was also all sorts of late to work, so he would have to wait until he got home to process all of that. Right now, making a good first impression that showed that he wasn’t riding his dad’s coattails was the only thing that mattered.

_…And he still hadn’t gotten the blond’s name._

_***_

Kuroo’s first day at work had gone swimmingly – He’d realized that the number of his office was written on his business card, so despite being about ten minutes late, he was able to blame it on the commute and get away with it. The rest of the day had gone by normally, besides his frazzled nerves and the image of the bespectacled blond leaving the elevator, probably never to be seen again.

He hoped he’d see him around the firm at some point, maybe, and while the idea of stalking his soulmate down wasn’t the most appealing, he was determined and a bit nervous and those were not a good combination on him.

As he got home, however, he could only go through the mechanical movement of taking his suit off, placing it on a hanger and changing into a pair of sweats and a far too large T-shirt before dramatically flinging himself into his bed and sighing like a schoolgirl with a crush.

What was he going to do? He’d waited so goddamn long for this and now he wasn’t wanted? Was this going to happen with the other two, provided he would ever even meet them? What if they were already in a couple and didn’t need a third, especially since the fourth wasn’t too fond of the idea either?

Perhaps – and it truly disgusted him to even think about it – His dad had been right. Perhaps some people just didn’t deserve to have a soulmate and were destined to be alone, dedicating themselves to something different, like their job. He’d always taken the three tattoos as a certainty that love was out there, waiting, and maybe that had been his issue, the fact that he’d based his entire life plan on the picket fence and three soulmates he’d been promised.

Oh, never mind, he got a text.

All but jumping up in excitement, Kuroo leaped for the nightstand, grabbing his phone and quickly unlocking it.

[Unknown]: Hello

[Unknown]: Is this Kuroo?

Okay, calm your nerves, maybe it’s not him, maybe it’s someone from work.

[Unknown]: I’m the guy from the elevator.

A cat-like grin made its way onto Kuroo’s face. He’d texted him! Oh God, he had left him on seen, he had to reply. He swallowed down his nerves and tried to type up the most casual message that he could.

[Me]: Hey! Glad you texted me. You wanna grab that coffee? :)

…Was it too casual? Ugh. The man seemed more formal, or maybe more of the shy type. The raven-haired man hoped he’d respond and not think he was too lame.

[Soulmate <3]: For some reason. Pick me up in an hour.

His address was written in the next message and Kuroo couldn’t control his nerves. He was going on a date (maybe?) with his soulmate! He had to take a shower, get dressed, do something with that bird nest of a hair and figure out what the hell he would tell him in order to convince him to give him a chance, all within one hour.

_This was going to be hectic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the owl pals will appear after just one more chapter! I know that this might be a bit more of a "boring" chapter, but it was necessary in order to set the scene for the third one <3 Thank you so much for sticking with me and I'll see you guys tomorrow with the next chapter!
> 
> By the way, hope you all are doing okay? In my country it's getting kind of worse, so I guess I'm just asking and hoping that everyone is safe! :)


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**CHAPTER THREE**

_“He could only be compared to the morning sun, the crisp air that refreshes your entire being when you lazily drag yourself out of bed after a long night.”_

That…Sounded right, didn’t it? It did capture his love’s essence and the effect he had on him.

But…Something was missing for some reason, wasn’t it? Worst of all, the poor writer had no idea what it was that was missing, either. He would soon, however, learn that it wasn’t just one thing that was missing, but two, and neither of them were “things”.

***

Kuroo was supposed to pick his soulmate up from his place in ten minutes. It’d take him about two to get to the car and eight to arrive at the address he’d received, which would technically be perfect timing – Besides the fact that he’d completely forgotten to think about what he’d say to the blond when he got there.

But no, Kuroo was confident, he had messy hair, a seductive smirk and jeans as tight as the money he didn’t have since having broken things off with his dad. He was going to do without a script and he was going to do _well_.

On his way there he listened to some David Bowie, eyes on the road, endless streetlights passing him by, finally arriving in front of a modest block of flats. Checking himself out in the small mirror, the man sent a quick “I’m here” text, for lack of finding something wittier to type.

As the blond came out of the block, Kuroo let his gaze roam appreciatively. Now that they weren’t in a cramped elevator and suits weren’t mandatory, he could see the nice figure of his soulmate, along with his sharp face and confident walk. The man stepped into the car, mumbling a quick “Good evening.”

Kuroo wanted to say something, such as “You’re gorgeous” or something overly dramatic, “I knew I’d change your mind, nobody can resist my charms” but he decided against it, since he didn’t want to come on too strong. Instead, he opted for a quick:

“You look good.”

The man looked down, mumbling something akin to “You too”, but Kuroo wasn’t sure he heard that properly. Nevertheless, it gave him the confidence necessary to ask his next question:

“You know, I still never did get your name. I think I was too distracted by the way you shamelessly tried to get into my pants this morning”, he smirked.

 _That_ got a reaction out of the blond alright.

“Please. I’ve got standards”, he replied, pushing his glasses up. “Also, it’s Tsukishima Kei, although I’m kind of regretting having told you that now.”

“You know, the mysterious thing gets old quickly too”, Kuroo joked, but as the man showed virtually no reaction he continued, “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, at your service.” For some reason, he winked afterwards.

The blond man wasn’t as shy as Kuroo had predicted either. He turned towards his soulmate, looking him in the eye and asked:

“Well, _Kuroo Tetsurou_ , you managed to drag me out of the house. Where are you taking me?”

Hmpf. Good question. Kuroo could only shrug, only now realizing that he hadn’t really thought _anything_ through. Stretching his arms behind his neck, “sheepish” was the only adjective that could describe him.

“There’s a nice restaurant in the area if you wanted to go?”

Tsukishima chuckled. “Wining and dining me? I never pegged you as the romantic type. Did you forget the flowers at home?”

Kuroo had, in fact, at some point entertained the idea of buying flowers, but now he was glad he hadn’t. He wasn’t phased by the man’s rudeness, since it was clear that it was just his way of interacting with people.

He placed his hand on the steering wheel and started up the car.

“Then where do _you_ want to go, princess?”

The blond scoffed at the nickname. “If any one of us is a princess that’s you, except that the helper birds made a nest in your hair and left afterwards.”

To his surprise, Kuroo chuckled. He’d have to add that to the list of insults he’d gotten based simply on his hair.

It took Tsukishima about fifteen minutes to realize that they were driving aimlessly, as he finally sighed and replied:

“So, where was that restaurant?”

Kuroo simply grinned.

***

It was at the restaurant that silence finally took over. It was a nice place, elegant but perhaps a tad too formal for a first date. The chairs were a velvet red and the tablecloth such a pristine white that Kuroo almost felt ashamed to touch it, lest he dirty it. Silence was still reigning among them, the background conversations not helping either and it was clear what was on both men’s minds. Neither of them wanted to broach the subject, however. So Kuroo did the one thing he knew best: deflecting.

He leaned towards Tsukishima, whispering in an almost conspirational tone:

“Look at the table next to us. I think he’s about to break up with her.”

With a suspicious smirk, the blond looked towards the table, only now noticing the look of distress on the woman’s face as she tried to frantically explain something with her hands. The look on the man’s face, however, was one of pure boredom, almost reminiscent to that of Tsukishima. He said something inaudible for the duo and the woman burst in tears, all but making a scene.

“Do you think they’re soulmates?”, Tsukishima asked in a hush.

Kuroo shook his head no. “Fate isn’t cruel enough to pair someone like that with _her_.”

The blond had to stifle a chuckle at that, still interested in the show. The woman was now taking her purse, throwing some cash on the table (“At least she paid for herself”, observed Kuroo) and proceeding to loudly proclaim that “Maybe my soulmate will treat me better” before rushing out.

The two men shared a look before erupting into laughter as soon as it was socially acceptable to. Thus the evening passed by uneventfully as they proceeded to people-watch and judge each and every person in the restaurant, even going as far as to make up complicated backstories for each of them.

After the laughter settled down, Kuroo found himself leaning his head on one elbow resting on the table and asking, an interested gleam in his eyes:

“So we’ve established the background of everyone here. What about _your_ background?”

The man scoffed, morphing his expression back into his natural, disinterested one and looking anywhere else but his soulmate’s perceptive eyes.

“I’d argue that’s a second or third date question.”

Kuroo, pretending to be unphased, albeit a tad disappointed, just smiled his most annoyingly fake smile and switched up his technique.

“Oh, how sweet, you’re already asking for a _third_ date? That’s quite forward of you.”

Tsukishima “hmpf”ed and proceeded to otherwise ignore him, showing him towards the line of people waiting for their tables, where a disappointed girl in a beautiful flowing dress was waiting next to a guy in a tracksuit who was trying far too hard to get into her pants, effectively getting a laugh out of Kuroo and helping brush past the previously awkward subject as swiftly as possible.   
  


***

After the date(?) was over, Kuroo parked in front of his soulmate’s block of flats, neither of the two saying a word. The streetlights were playing nicely on Tsukishima’s face, almost softening his features, making him look younger. He appeared to be calm, despite the raging heartbeat he had, unbeknownst to Kuroo. As for the deafening silence – It felt almost comfortable for some reason, despite the fact that the elephant in the room was still there and trumpeting his heart out.

The lawyer didn’t want to break the silence, but he knew he had to ask the dreaded question they’d avoided all night:

“So…What are we going to do about these?” He pointed to his wrist, uncovering it quickly, before his rush of courage faded away.

Despite the awkward subject, Tsukishima tentatively took his wrist in his hand, reading everything quickly. Instead of the disapproving reaction Kuroo was expecting, to his surprise, his soulmate erupted into laughter.

“Y-You actually have that tattooed on you for the rest of your life.”

Kuroo forced out a shocked laugh, which developed into a genuine one at the absurdity of the situation.

“Which one?”

The blond motioned to all three. “Who the fuck is ‘Hootini’? And who the fuck talks to a person for the first time in their life about their lack of pants?”

The lawyer just smiled fondly.

“Our soulmates, apparently.”

At the use of the word “our”, it finally dawned on Tsukishima – Those were the same people _he_ had on his wrist. His cold demeanor returning, he let go of Kuroo’s wrist like he was burned, retreating into his form.

Sadly for him, his soulmate was more resilient than that:

“Show me your wrist too. I want to see.”

The blond sighed, but he complied.

_“I’ve heard a lot about you.”_

_"Can you recommend a detergent that gets pet stains out of clothing?"_

_“I’m terribly sorry, I’m late and I have no idea which way I should be heading!”_   
  


For some reason, seeing his own words on the man’s wrist brought a wide smile to Kuroo’s face and a warmth he wasn’t sure he was supposed to be feeling. Instead of acknowledging it, he pouted.

“It’s not fair! Yours are more normal than mine.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “I thought one of my soulmates was the fucking rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.”

Kuroo wheezed, then pressed a hand to his heart in a mock-offended sign. “I was a man in need, lost and in a hurry and all you can do is laugh at my misfortune?”

“What kind of idiot is late to work on his first day without even knowing where his office is?”

Kuroo rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “Me.”

“Also, how did you know that was my first day?”

“It was written all over your face.”

“Fair enough.”

And as the silence stretched on and neither of them were willing to say their goodbyes, Kuroo finally asked the dreaded question:

“So…What are we going to be doing about the soulmarks?”

Tsukishima’s serene expression shifted into a serious one. “I’m still not sure if it’s a good idea, but you’re not _as_ bad as I had envisioned. I guess we could…take it slowly and see how it goes?”

Kuroo didn’t know what gods had possessed Tsukishima to say that, but he was definitely thanking all of them, kissing their feet, praying to them for the rest of his life. Instead of expressing the electric excitement that was just about to burst out of his chest, Kuroo decided to go down the teasing road again. It was just easier.

“Aww, does someone have a crush?”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, frowning. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

And with that they said their goodbyes, Kuroo driving home with a serene expression adorning his face. Maybe not that day, maybe not the day after, but someday he was sure Tsukishima would come around.

_And who knows, maybe the other two weren’t too far away either._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally went on a date!! <3  
> Next chapter we're meeting Akaashi and Bokuto and I'm beyond excited - Tune in tomorrow and I hope you enjoyed the way this went!
> 
> Also, any constructive criticism is welcome - After all, it's the first chaptered fic I've actually written more than one chapter of. Thank you very much for reading, by the way! :)


	4. CHAPTER FOUR

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_“He could only be compared to the ocean, wave after wave of spontaneous decisions, whisking me away on them too. For some reason, I never complained.”_

Okay, now this was getting ridiculous – Comparisons to the ocean? “ _You can do better_ ”, the writer would think to himself. But it was true – He’d just now been taken on what would be, unbeknownst to him, the adventure of his life. Surprisingly, it had all started with a simple sentence.

***

_“We should move in together”_

, had said a certain owlish man on an Autumn day so sunny that the entire room appeared orange, effectively making Akaashi Keiji almost spit out his cereal. He didn’t know why the proposal had surprised him that much; After all, they _had_ been dating for almost two years now – And what two years it had been indeed, two years which had taken his life by storm, his energy ball of a soulmate taking him on all sorts of “adventures” he couldn’t have ever fathomed going on. 

Now what could be classified as an adventure was debatable; When Bokuto said “Let’s go on an adventure”, Akaashi had learned it could mean one of three things:

  1. Something incredibly spontaneous, such as a random trip to some city Keiji had mentioned offhand he’d never visited before (The fact that his soulmate always remembered the little things never failed to warm his heart);
  2. Something maybe a tad out of common, like Laser Tag or an escape room or whatever Bokuto was into at that moment (and oh boy did that change often);
  3. Grocery runs. Errands. Yes, those classified as adventures, and Keiji kept them just as close to his heart as the others, maybe even a tad more, simply because truly, yes, even just visiting a grocery store could become hectic with Bokuto by his side. (But that was a story for another time.)



Point was, nothing really was bland in his life anymore, and it was all thanks to Bokuto, the man sitting opposite him at the small table cramped up in his even smaller apartment.

Akaashi let a small smile graze his lips, lovingly gazing at his soulmate. He’d let him whisk him away anywhere he wanted, as long as he would light up his life every day like that.

Apparently his reverie had been interpreted as reluctance, as Bokuto looked at his fingers splayed out on the table, his legs shaking nervously underneath. “Eh? ‘Kaashi? Do you not want to? ‘Cause that’d be alright too, you know, I just wanted to throw it out there-“

“I would love to move in with you, you dork”, interrupted Akaashi with a reassuring smile, leaning over the table to plant a peck on his soulmate’s lips. Bokuto was having none of that, however, pulling him back in for another kiss, and then another, and then another. He looked like a toddler who’d just received a puppy on Christmas.

“Hey hey hey!”, a kiss, “I’m so glad, Akaashi!”, another kiss,“ I’m so glad!”

He got up from the table, took his soulmate in for possibly the tightest hug he’d ever received, nuzzling his face into his hair and neck, leaving small kisses wherever he could.

Akaashi was happy too – Grinning, even, Bokuto’s happiness contagious. He let himself cuddled by the love of his life, looking over his shoulder and thinking how living without him would be near impossible at this point. For some reason, that didn’t scare him at all. And to think that it could have not even begun, had he not made one of the most embarrassing mistakes of his life.

***

His pounding headache was not giving him a break that morning, as he found himself on a very ratty couch he recognized from the previous night. Groaning, he slid off the couch, not even bothering to look in the mirror, put on his coat, checked for his phone, keys and wallet, waved to his half-asleep friends and left before he could embarrass himself even more than he probably already had the previous night. _Shame._

He’d been a diligent student back in college – Despite being a literature major, one of the more “lenient” (allegedly) fields to major in, he’d occupied most of his time reading as much as possible and writing up a book he, frankly, considered to be a waste of time, since it’s not like he was ever going to publish it. He did have friends – No question about that, but they had all found their soulmates already and, even if they did often ask him to hang out with them, he hadn’t found his yet (either one of the three) and didn’t really want to feel like a third, fifth or even seventh wheel, so he rarely did come out of his dorm room for anything other than grocery shopping.

However, after having gotten his degree, Akaashi realized that he’d missed out. On a lot of things, at that. For example, college parties – He’d been to…what? One? How was he supposed to meet his soulmate(s?) by sulking inside all day and what was he going to be doing with his life with this very broad major? Doubts of all sorts had been worming their way inside his head for a long time, thus on a dreaded rainy day he called up Suga (his ex-roommate) and a bunch of his other old pals, finally agreeing to hang out somewhere, provided alcohol was involved.

They hadn’t been worried, besides maybe Suga’s suspicious glance as they met up – They’d just been happy he was finally hanging out with them. So they provided the apartment to crash in afterwards and free entrance to the club everyone used to inhabit during their college days.

Akaashi’s mind blanks out…Two hours in, maybe? He just recalls the horrible morning after.

After having exited the ratty apartment, Akaashi was on his way back home, head still pounding, although the fact that the rain had stopped was at least one sign that the universe could, in fact, be forgiving sometimes. He would catch the first bus, get home, sleep for at least a full day and then make up a plan for how he was going to go about making a living, motivation flowing through his veins as he never wanted to see himself in the position he’d been in this morning ever again.

After almost falling asleep in the station, the writer shook his head in an effortless attempt to wake himself up and entered the bus. He almost felt bad that he was this hungover, since a very attractive man caught his eye almost instantly. Although…It would’ve been difficult _not_ to see him, due to his weirdly dyed hair (White stripes? Who does that?) and golden eyes. As for the body, he was quite bulky – And Akaashi definitely was into that. Oh well, he was probably already taken, like apparently the rest of the whole fucking world…

Akaashi sighed, not letting himself spiral back into his endless doubts about ever meeting his three soulmates. They were all a couple already probably, so there really was no use in trying to find them anyway. He’d wing single life one way or another.

Not having another place to sit, he sat next to the attractive man, glancing at his phone from time to time in order to stop himself from falling asleep. He thought he saw him sneak a glance towards him, but figured it was just wishful thinking and proceeded to look out the window. The rain had started up again and the colors of the trees were blending together, as if someone had taken a brush and smudged all the shades found within a painting with each other. It was eerily calming, for some reason, the soft sunshine hidden beneath layers and layers of clouds, waiting to come out as soon as possible, the continuous hum of the wheels scraping the asphalt…

The next thing he remembers is being gently shaken, making the colossal effort of opening his eyes and being met with amused, golden ones. The man had one of the most intense stares he had ever seen – It was _hypnotizing_.

Jumping as if burnt, Akaashi realized to his horror that he’d fallen asleep on the shoulder of the attractive man (and probably drooled too!). He shuffled upright, looking down at his feet awkwardly, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Please excuse me for disturbing you, I’m just very tired I suppose, I can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry!”

The grey-haired man laughed far too loudly for a bus full of people, to Akaashi’s embarrassment. He was just about to leave and place a bag over his head forever, until…

“Wait, I’m sorry, I didn’t mind at all, since you’re like, really really pretty!”

The shock of being called pretty by the hottest man he’d ever seen was overshadowed by the familiarity of the phrase, until he remembered that that very phrase had been on his wrist ever since he was seventeen years old.

Curious, big eyes glanced up at him, an unsaid question hidden beneath them. Akaashi looked at his wrist, asked the man for _his_ wrist (the dumbass hadn’t realized that he’d just heard his soulmate speak his first sentence to him) and the rest was history.

***

Akaashi’s lips spread into a contented smile, chuckling at the beginning of the very best thing that could’ve happened to him. From the complete lifestyle change, to the encouraging words regarding Akaashi’s writing (They’d helped him finish his first book, which quickly became a bestseller), they were truly happy together – Yes, two more tattoos on their wrists would sometimes taunt them, but they were rarely bothered by them. A few months back, they’d spent all night cuddled up together, fantasizing about what they could be like – Would they balance Akaashi’s tendency to overthink and Bokuto’s to _not_ think enough? Would they be guys, girls, a guy and a girl? What would they look like? Would they like owls? Would they… However, nowadays, they were just content with whatever fate was planning on throwing at them. As long as they were together, life was going to keep going, with or without the other soulmates.

***

As the day of the move came, Akaashi was a bundle of nerves. They’d gotten just the cutest apartment, cozy enough for both of them yet not obscenely large just because they could afford it. Living together wouldn’t come as something new for either of the men, since for the past year or so they would either crash at Bokuto or Akaashi’s place for prolonged periods of time - They each had a toothbrush and spare clothes at the other’s place and were incredibly domestic already, so why did Keiji feel like this was such a big step?

As they carried their boxes upstairs, the writer took it upon himself to remind his soulmate to be careful, since the overexcited man was carrying at least five boxes and Akaashi could just tell that he was either going to hurt himself or the contents of the boxes at some point.

Much to his dismay, Bokuto proceeded to gasp, completely ignore him, leave the boxes on the fucking stairs, dash towards a target Akaashi couldn’t really see and yell loud enough for the entire building to hear:

_“Bro!! Bro!! Kuroo!! It’s been so long, my dude!!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After three whole chapters, Bokuto and Akaashi are finally making their debut! I know this chapter doesn't maybe contain as much plot as the first three, but I felt it was necessary to provide some clarity regarding our Fukurodani boys' relationship. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed <3 
> 
> As usual, thank you so much for reading and stay tuned for the next chapters! :)


	5. CHAPTER FIVE

**CHAPTER 5:**

_“He could only be compared to glass, see-through in each and every emotion and perfectly fine with it, yet so easily broken by the simplest of actions.“_

That was a good comparison – The writer had seen his soulmate in each and every circumstance, and yet the ease with which he switched from mood to mood would always surprise him. And yet, once again, there was a distinct feeling that the comparison was incomplete, a feeling of banality surrounding the words – What _was_ missing?

***

“Oh my God, Kenma, you would not _believe_ the day I’ve had”, whined Kuroo on the phone, blindly wandering from room to room of his decently sized apartment, too distraught to sit down or even put his thoughts in order.

“Oh? Do tell”, was the short, disinterested reply he received from his childhood best friend, who was probably too busy playing some game to pay too much attention, attributing the call to Kuroo’s antics of making more of a big deal than necessary out of just about anything. One day he’d called him with the exact same tonality regarding the fact that his favorite brand of chips had been discontinued.

Kuroo wasn’t phased, however, too caught up in his own rapidly-changing train of thought.

“Okay, so you know how Tsukki and I were _kind of_ supposed to have our fourth date today?”

Kenma rolled his eyes. Ever since Kuroo had met his first soulmate, he’d been constantly gushing about him. ( _“But he’s so nice, Kenma! I mean he’s kind of an asshole but he blushed today!! So I think I’m finally getting through to him!”_ had kind of become a mantra by now). And he was thrilled that his friend had found someone who made him happy, especially after all of Kuroo’s doubts, no question in that, but Kenma wouldn’t deny that he was halfheartedly hoping that one day, after the honeymoon phase was over, they’d return to their normal subjects.

“Not a date if you hang out and act as friends”, he reminded him.

Kuroo’s heart was still beating too loudly to bicker again about that, so he decided to ignore it. “Okay, so he had to cancel because of this important case he’s working on, but that’s not what fucks me up”, he continued, more for himself.

Kenma blinked at the lawyer’s lack of response regarding what does and doesn’t qualify as a date, since normally he’d have already gone off on a tangent about it. Pausing his game, he asked him to continue.

Frantically dragging a hand through his hair, Tetsurou’s pacing was now reduced to just the living room.

“Since I did still want to get a breath of fresh air, I decided to go to the grocery store. And you would not _believe_ who yelled after me as I came back to my apartment, right as I was unlocking my door.”

Interest piqued, Kenma egged him on: “Who?”

A pause, then a horrified whisper-yell: “Bokuto Koutarou!”

Kenma turned off his PlayStation without a word.

***

_“Bro!! Bro!! Kuroo!! It’s been so long, my dude!!”,_ was the last voice Kuroo had expected to ever hear again, especially as he was unlocking his apartment.

The raven-haired man froze in his tracks. This couldn’t be… It shouldn’t be…

But the all-too-familiar voice followed by the sound of rapid footsteps told him everything he needed to know: Bokuto, his old best friend from college that he had successfully avoided for the past few years or so, was somehow in his building and had somehow spotted him.

He’d just started to forget, just started seeing someone and it was going debatably _well_. What was he doing in his building?

He couldn’t face him, especially since he heard he’d found one of his soulmates a while ago. What if they showed up _together_? He had to act fast. How could he avoid someone hurrying towards him at 50 miles per hour?

…Easily. It wasn’t Kuroo’s proudest moment, but he supposed that sometimes being a coward was just part of his soap-opera-like life. Pretending not to have seen nor heard Bokuto (despite the impossibility of either), he quickly entered the apartment, closed the door behind him and locked it, leaning on it like his life depended on it.

He did realize that it hadn’t been the proper way to deal with things, but was he to blame?

…Certainly, but given the circumstances, he hoped it was understandable.

Bokuto rapped his fingers excitedly on his door, probably thinking that he hadn’t been noticed and not realizing that Kuroo had pointedly ignored him. He proceeded to knock once, twice and a third time for good measure.

As the knocking stopped and two voices could be faintly heard, the lawyer rose to his feet with impressive speed, leaning down to look through the visor at the scene unfolding in front of his door:

Bokuto, somehow, looked just like he did four years ago: Same crazy hairstyle that somehow represented him so well, same wide eyes that Kuroo had always read perfectly and the same energy that he’d fallen in love with all that time ago.

He remembers the first time he’d seen him, thinking that he looked weird but in an incredibly attractive way and deciding to talk to him after seeing the three lines on his wrist. The vague disappointment as his first words hadn’t reflected any of the ones he’d been hoping for. Proceeding to realize how fucking _cool_ this guy was and becoming best bros immediately. They’d been inseparable all the way until their third year, when, after one too many long talks with Kenma, Kuroo realized the bitter truth that he was very much _in love_ with the guy and that the guy definitely only saw him as a really good friend. It took him another year to fully get it through his head that he was never going to get over him unless they stopped hanging out and yet another half-year of slowly moving his stuff out, bullshit excuses and heartbreaking silence at the other end of the phone until the calls finally stopped coming in.

It had probably been the hardest thing he’d done in his entire life and the guilt still kept him from sleeping from time to time, but that owlish face had mostly stopped plaguing his thoughts.

Until now.

Bokuto’s shoulder was being pat reassuringly by a man carrying a few boxes that he seemed to be struggling with.

(“ _The soulmate”_ , Kuroo thought bitterly, _“of course he’d have to be a fucking Adonis in order to be Bo’s soulmate”_ ). His heart sunk at the sight of the boxes, a clear sign that they were moving together. _Inside his building._ What had he done for fate to kick him down like that? _How would he avoid them now?_

Truth to be told, the man _was_ , in fact, incredibly attractive. His raven hair curled slightly at the ends, sharpening his delicate features, Prussian blue eyes with thin pupils calculating his next move in regard to his soulmate.

“What happened, Kou?”, proceeded to ask one of the most beautiful voices Kuroo had heard in his entire life.

The owlish man’s shoulders slumped, his entire demeanor changing as the corners of his lips curled downwards and his eyes filled with something akin to pure disappointment. Kuroo had seen that expression countless times before, while he was trying to get out of various hangouts, but it was still as heartbreaking as ever, seeing that ever-smiling face morphing into one of genuine dejection.

Bokuto clung to his soulmate, almost making him drop a few boxes in the process.

“Akaashi! I don’t think he heard me, he’s gone inside! I tried knocking on the door but uh, he didn’t answer…” He looked down. “You don’t think he didn’t want to see me, right?”

The soulmate – Akaashi, apparently – glared at the door as if he knew that Kuroo was hiding like an absolute coward behind it, placing the boxes on the ground and gently taking the buffer man in his arms.

“I doubt it, Kou. You were good friends, weren’t you?” The sulking man slowly nodded, which Akaashi took as a sign to keep going. “I’m sure he just didn’t hear you. We’ll try tomorrow, okay? He’ll be thrilled to see his old best friend at his door.”

Suddenly, the man’s demeanor changed once more, as his shoulders straightened and the world’s brightest smile grazed his face, making Kuroo’s heart _still skip a beat, damn it._

“You’re right! I’ll knock tomorrow, introduce you two and we’ll host the best dinner party ever! You’re so smart, Akaashi!”

“Yeah, now grab those boxes, dumbass, I’ll pick up the ones you left on the stairs”, replied the attractive man with a smile that was fond enough to break Kuroo’s heart to pieces once more.

***

Kenma had listened intently to the story he’d just been told, trying to place his ideas in order.

“So you’re neighbors now?”

Kuroo nodded mournfully until he realized that his friend couldn’t see him through the phone.

“Yes, and I think they’re going to try to invite me to hang out with them! And they’re both _so attractive_ , Kenma, I’ll either die because of Bo’s smile that could bring someone back from the fucking dead or because of _Akaashi_ ’s fucking attractive everything or because of how obviously in fucking love they are with each other! And they’re my _neighbors_! How am I going to avoid them now?”

He finally let himself sit down, throwing himself on his bed to sulk.

“…Look, I know it was probably a shock to see him again, but I think it might be a good thing”, Kenma hummed thoughtfully.

“A _good thing_? How?”

It was good that Kenma was used to Kuroo’s scandalized reactions by now and knew how to prevent them.

“Well, in those four years you’ve gotten your space, but it’s time to get over him properly. You’ve both got someone now, right? And you used to be inseparable; Maybe this is the universe’s little nod that you could rekindle that friendship?”

“…Although you two together were absolutely unbearable…”, he added as an afterthought.

Kuroo chuckled fondly at that. He remembered all the pranks they’d played on their friends and each other, the pun contests, the bad movie nights starring classics such as Sharknado and, most importantly, their shared dorm room that was as messy as they came, and yet in three years he’d grown to call it home.

“…Do you think I should talk to him?”, he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Definitely”, argued Kenma, “although I’d do it tomorrow at around…lunch time?... if I were you.”

He did have a point – If he went now, it’d be obvious he’d ignored Bokuto. But the following day he had to act before the dinner invitation since he was _definitely_ not ready for that, so lunchtime sounded like the safest bet.

Kuroo Tetsurou, renowned lawyer with a reputation of being bulletproof in court, manipulating the judges towards his goals and observing their every single reaction – Sighed like a fourteen-year-old girl, placing his head in his hands. After four years, he would have to talk to him again. He couldn’t deny the fact that he was scared, especially by the butterflies just about ready to eat him alive after having seen him _through a visor_ , but there was also something deep inside him that filled him with energy, his nerves slowly dissipating as a plan started to form.

_Tomorrow at lunchtime._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so maybe this is a bit disappointing since the last chapter hinted at a meeting? I'm sorry haha, but I promise that's gonna happen a few more chapters down the road <3 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed and I hope you have a really nice day!! :)


	6. CHAPTER SIX

**CHAPTER SIX**

_“He could only be compared to a stray puppy - Easily hurt, yet quick to forgive and that often resulted in disaster. But sometimes his naivety would yield the most wonderful results, ones no ordinary human could achieve."_

...Really, comparing his soulmate to a dog? A stray one...? The writer really needed to work on his comparisons. And maybe he could move past this specific point in the book and return later? Although he knew he wouldn't be able to, since for some reason the thought of writing past an unfinished comparison meant that he'd given in to his writer's block and the resulting chapters would be complete garbage.

He let his head hit the desk with an audible "thump".

***

As lunch the following day approached, a certain messy haired man was pondering what time would exactly qualify as “lunch”, since he would rather push the interaction with Bokuto as late as humanly possible. A quick Google search turned up that the average time for lunch in the US was between “11:30 and 13:30”, however he did not live in the US and other sites encouraged having lunch around 3 PM.

And yet as his phone started to ring and he answered it, a grumpy Kenma reminded him that now would be the perfect time to do it. Apparently he’d called because he knew Kuroo would “chicken out”, accusation the male valiantly denied.

Sadly, his friend was right and now the lawyer found himself in front of the door right next to his apartment, the two boxes next to him a clear sign that he was in the right place. He took a deep breath. Then another. And, finally, yet another. Was he ready to face his first true love? Apologize for the distance he’d placed between them? What if Bokuto was still mad at him?

Heart pounding, the man knocked on the door twice in quick succession, silently praying that the two weren’t home and- Oh God, what if Akaashi was the one to open the door? That would be so terrifyingly awkward, oh God, was it too late to make a run for it again?

…Sadly, it was.

“Kuroo!!”, was the loud yell that the man heard before he collided with the ground, a shock of white and black hair obscuring his vision.

To his surprise, Kuroo laughed genuinely, ruffling the hair of his now-neighbor. Bokuto laughed alongside him and got up carefully, helping his friend up, until the two of them remained smiling at each other.

“Bro, I haven’t seen you in ages! How’ve you been? Where are you working now? How’s your love life?” – he winked – “How come we’re neighbors? How cool is that, right?”

The questions kept coming and coming and Kuroo grinned fondly, surprised at how much he’d missed being bombarded with them.

The man continued his attack of questions, until he suddenly stopped, blinking confusedly. “Oh, yeah, Akaashi always tells me that I should be more polite, so come inside, dude, let’s have a drink or something, like adults.”

He grinned and Kuroo had originally wanted to decline, entering the apartment hadn’t been his plan, but at that point Bokuto had already dashed inside, leaving him with not much of a choice.

The apartment was surprisingly clean, considering that they’d moved in yesterday – Despite the stray box here and there, it was obvious that Bokuto’s soulmate was meticulous, since the owlish man definitely didn’t possess those skills. Proof: Their dorm room.

As the two men sat down on the mint colored couch, drink in hand, Kuroo decided to speak his part before the other man would ask him for his life story once again. Carefully placing his drink on the table, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and forced out some allegedly eloquent words:

“So, uh, look. I’m so sorry I ditched you back in college, I guess it wasn’t intentional? But I really regret us drifting apart. We were quite a good pair, weren’t we?” His hands were sort of trembling and he had trouble looking at Bokuto, instead staring straight ahead at a pretty display of various books from universal literature (Wow, his soulmate was smart too? No wonder Kuroo never stood a chance.)

Bokuto just grinned, patting his friend on the back. “No problem, dude, it happens. I’m just glad we’re, like, totally reconnecting now, right?”

Wow, since when had the two gotten so good at communicating? A few years back they’d have completely avoided the subject, made some incredibly stupid puns and proceeded to never bring it up again. Oh man, despite the jokes, they _were_ getting kind of old, weren’t they?

The white-haired man glanced for just too long of a moment at Kuroo, then desperately tried to change the subject.

“I wish I could introduce you to my soulmate, Akaashi, but he’s at the library right now, ‘getting references for his book’, whatever that means”, he pouted.

Kuroo internally let out a relieved sigh. There wasn’t a word for how strongly he didn’t want to meet the gorgeous, smart and organized soulmate of the man he used to love.

“Ah, that’s too bad then. Maybe next time.”

As the silence was about to stretch on in a way that probably didn’t phase Bokuto but was definitely awkward for Kuroo, the latter made an attempt to keep up the conversation.

“So, how’s life been treating you?”

Bokuto’s ears perked up and Kuroo could almost swear that his hair had, too, but that was probably his imagination.

“Oh, it’s going so well, Kuroo! I mean, I’m a vet! Can you believe that?”, he erupted into laughter, making his friend do the same. “Did you ever see me as someone who could be a vet?”, he continued laughing.

“Well I mean you didn’t choose the pug life, pug life chose you”, added Kuroo solemnly, then bursting out laughing.

At that, Bokuto laughed far louder than technically humanly possible and then stopped abruptly, looking him in the eye.

“Did you seriously just use a 2012 meme in the holy year of 2019?”

Kuroo placed a hand on his mouth in a mock-gasp. “Heavens, I’m getting old! I’ll have to start sharing minion memes now too…” He dramatically placed a hand on his head and fell on his back in Bokuto’s arms.

“I’m a lost cause, Bo…Take me to the hospital before it’s too late…If I die now, know that I’m leaving you nothing and Kenma gets my apartment!”

Bokuto pouted at the fact that he wasn’t receiving anything but then played along, placing a hand on Kuroo’s cheek.

“But you can’t die, bro! Think about all the puns we still have to make! The world can’t go on without you!”

If Kuroo’s face could get any redder, it would – He’d gotten too lost in the joke and now here he was, in this guy’s (strong and far too attractive for his liking) arms, one hand on his cheek, having the perfect view of the vet’s grinning face as he broke character. The silence that followed had too much tension in it and Kuroo sat up far faster than would have been socially appropriate.

“I missed this”, Bokuto said, out of the blue, surprising the raven-haired man. _He’d really matured, hadn’t he?_

“I did too”, he agreed almost in a whisper.

“Have you found them?”, the owlish man surprised him again, whispering too, despite nobody else being in the apartment.

Kuroo stared at his wrist longingly, knowing exactly what his friend had meant. “I found one, but that’s about it – He’s a bit reluctant about it too, said we’d be ‘two quarters of a whole’. I think I’m slowly getting him out of his shell though. But I keep thinking, when will the others show up, you know?”, he treaded a hand through his messy locks and smiled awkwardly. “Ah, anyway. I’m guessing you haven’t either?”

At that moment, Bokuto’s cell proceeded to ring a loud, incredibly annoying rendition of a song by some pop band Kuroo didn’t recognize but deemed fitting for his friend’s music taste.

“Yeah? Oh, yeah, ‘kaashi, we’re out of milk. Pick some up when you’re coming home?” A fond smile like Kuroo had never seen before grazed Bokuto’s lips as a dreamy look took over him, making the lawyer’s heart unjustifiably wrench in jealousy, even after all those years.

After some more talking that Kuroo was not masochistic enough to eavesdrop on, Bokuto placed his phone back on the table and glanced at him with a grin.

“That was Akaashi! He’s so great, Kuroo, I can’t wait to introduce you two! He’s a writer and he’s smart and so pretty and kind!”

The way he was describing him was reminiscent of a five-year-old describing a friend to his parents, but it made Kuroo smile nonetheless, ignoring the pang of jealousy he felt.

As Bokuto rambled on and on about his wonderful soulmate, Kuroo decided that tuning him out was the best for him, but he couldn’t help but hear something that made him immediately get up from the couch:

“-And you’re in luck, since he’s on his way home right now! I can’t wait for you to meet him!”

Kuroo had never excused himself faster in his entire life.

“I’m, uh, gonna have to head out sadly, I’ve got a case I’m working on, but maybe next time?”

His friend’s hair seemed to almost deflate (how???), but then at the mention of his friend’s job it perked up again.

“You’re a lawyer? Bro, that’s like, so cool! So we’re a lawyer and a doctor now? I can’t believe we’ve got ‘serious’ jobs after all the shit we pulled in college.”

A nostalgic silence seemed to engulf the two as they thought back to their so-called “crazy” years, staring at each other with a smile that showed how much they’d missed each other. Kuroo swore at himself for ever discarding his friend as he had.

The thought of Akaashi’s imminent arrival suddenly came to Kuroo’s mind, the man haphazardly smiling in order not to show the way his stomach turned after even hearing that name, proceeding to excuse himself for real now, promising (to his horror) to meet up with his re-gained friend the following evening for a shitty movie (“Just like old times!”, Bokuto had said) and all but dashing towards his own door.

Finally back inside, he realized he was still smiling far too fondly because of someone who wasn’t his soulmate, wiped it off his face as fast as possible and proceeded to check his phone, pretending that he wasn’t falling for Bokuto again after one single meeting and that they really were just good bros.

Frankly, it scared him how effortlessly they’d fallen back into their rhythm – They were already joking around like they once were (despite their small awkward moments) and it had been so easy to schedule their next meet-up, bonding over shitty films. It felt just like college.

It felt just like coming home.

***

He noticed Tsukishima had left him a message and felt slightly guilty for it. _He_ was his soulmate, not Bokuto – Why had he paid so little attention to him? Plus that Tsukki _never_ texted him first, so the fact that that had happened meant that he had _really_ neglected him.

A bizarre fear enveloped Kuroo in an uncomfortable hug, like an old relative he hated at Thanksgiving dinner. Was he following in his parents’ footsteps, falling for someone who wasn’t his soulmate and neglecting his own?

…No, that wasn’t it, since besides the whole falling-for-his-not-ex-again issue, his feelings for Tsukishima were still very much blossoming. He wasn’t sure if he was already _in love_ with the blond, but there was definitely something and he knew that fate wouldn’t assign him someone unfit. But with two more soulmates left to find, he realized that being in love with not three, but _four_ people, including Bokuto, would be impossible to manage. He had to put a halt to his feelings then and there.

Kuroo took a deep breath, gaze transfixed to the wall as if it held the world’s greatest secrets and decided that, once and for all, he wouldn’t allow himself to fall for Bokuto again – He’d focus on the soulmate he’d actually _found_.

[Tsukki <3]: Not that I’m particularly interested, but I don’t want you messing up my plans, so are we still on for dinner?

…Oh no, he’d completely forgotten about dinner. Texting a quick “Yes!!” that may have appeared a tad too desperate for his taste, Kuroo started to get ready. Yes, it was still lunchtime, but he was meeting up with his _real_ soulmate –

_And he really wanted to pull out all the stops._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a break from writing for a few days in order to read some Oscar Wilde, but now I'm back with a chapter that I hope you guys will love! I know this is hella slow burn-y, but stick with me, please? <3
> 
> Hopefully one more chapter from now we'll be getting the meeting!! I can't wait to write it out, honestly.  
> Either way, thank you guys so much for sticking with me and I hope you'll keep on enjoying what I'm adding to this story! :)
> 
> P.S.: I have only proofread this chapter once, so if there's anything that doesn't make sense I promise I'll correct it over the course of the following days :)


	7. CHAPTER SEVEN

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_“He could only be compared to a small, hurt owl – Just as cute, yet oftentimes in need of help, forever reluctant to ask for it. However, when in health, he was vicious and everyone knew not to underestimate him.”_

That was surprisingly accurate, and yet… Where was the poetry of it all? And the owl?! Everyone with a working pair of eyes and their almost blind grandpa could compare his soulmate to an owl. Despite the almost-exact analogy, the writer knew that, sadly enough, this still wasn’t it.

***

As Kuroo’s car rolled to a halt in front of Tsukishima’s block of flats, the man took the few moments between texting “I’m here” and his soulmate quickly going down the stairs in order to check himself out in the rearview mirror, fiddling with his hair and messing it up even more in the progress. He sighed irritatedly, dragging a hand through his hair to bring it back to its original position and proceeding to get the scare of a lifetime as he saw his soulmate standing in front of the car’s door, an amused smirk plastered to his face.

Before he could open his mouth to say what was probably the snarkiest remark of his life, Kuroo rolled down his window.

“If you say one single word about this, I’m not unlocking your door.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, still smirking.

“Fine by me”, he replied, pretending to turn around and head towards his block of flats.

Kuroo took a deep breath. He was going to _kill him_. He placed his arm on the window sill of his car, pushing his head out in order to yell after him, a coy smile on his face.

“Then I’m guessing you’re not interested in the _super cool date_ I was planning to take you on?”

“Not really, no”, the blond turned his head to talk, then kept walking with a snide grin.

…While Kuroo still appreciated the pettiness, this was starting to get infuriating. He leaned out once more.

“We’ll lose our reservation, you know…”

“We’ll get it next time then”, Tsukishima kept smirking.

“Ah, for God’s sake, just get in here, it’s unlocked”, replied Kuroo defeatedly, as a pleased smile appeared on the blond’s face, who quickly turned around and stepped inside the car.

“Alright, so where’s this ‘super cool date’ you’re planning to take me on?”, he proceeded to ask, mimicking quotation marks.

Kuroo decided to ignore them, placing his hand on his chin in pretend-thought.

“Well, at first I wanted to take you to a wine tasting…”

“Already trying to get me drunk, huh?”, Tsukishima snickered.

“…but I realized that I wouldn’t be able to drive in that case, which kinda sucked since I didn’t feel like walking today.”

“Ah, what a tragedy indeed”, replied Tsukishima, rolling his eyes, a small smile betraying his fondness.

“But then!”, Kuroo continued dramatically, making the blond raise an eyebrow. “I figured out the perfect place.”

Trying not to show any interest (and failing miserably, if Kuroo’s smirk was enough to go by), Tsukishima leaned involuntarily towards the man in question.

“…But you’ll see when we get there”, he continued, now fully grinning at his soulmate slumping back into his seat.

As Kuroo pulled up in front of a library, Tsukishima just frowned. He glanced at whatever was next to it, but only saw a clothes store and a pharmacy. He raised an eyebrow.

“Are we here to find a book that teaches you how to style your hair properly?”

“Nah, we’re here to find a book that teaches you how to have variety in your insults”, Kuroo snickered and swiftly got out of the car, opening the door for his date like the gentleman he was.

As Tsukishima glanced around warily, trying to understand why they were in front of the library at seven PM, just past Sunday closing time, Kuroo grinned knowingly, took out a ring of two keys that made a small clinking noise, then carefully opened the library.

“Look dude, if you’re here to satisfy some weird library fetish, I think I’m gonna take my leave.”

“Ah, you wound me dearly”, Kuroo replied with mock hurt. “First of all, there’s no such thing as a library fetish – Everyone has, at some point, wanted to have sex in a library and I won’t be convinced otherwise.”

The bespectacled man opened his mouth to reply but was stopped as his soulmate continued to speak, taking on a more solemn tone.

“However, I took us here since it was the only building I could… _book_ for this date.”

Silence.

Cue Kuroo’s absolutely awful wheeze, while Tsukishima could only stare at the man in front of him with a defeated sigh, noticing to his dismay how _cute_ he looked, even with his ugly laugh. He quickly shook his head.

As the raven-haired man stopped laughing, he walked to some random shelf, pulling out a peach-colored book and returning with a wide grin.

…To his horror, Tsukishima read the title:

_“36 Questions to Fall in Love”_

***

Despite Tsukishima’s initial apprehension, Kuroo could sense that the blond was enjoying the date – He’d set up candles on one of the library tables, bought some food that he hoped his soulmate would enjoy too, based on what he’d ordered on previous dates, and the conversation seemed so much more intimate, provided they were alone.

The candlelight wasn’t too strong, enveloping the two in a halo of sorts, flickering from time to time whenever one of them would sigh (Tsukishima) or laugh far too loudly for a library (Kuroo). The raven-haired man had to pat himself on the back for the idea, while also mentally making a reminder to treat his librarian friend to some expensive wine someday – Besides the fact that he could learn so much about his soulmate this way, the atmosphere brought a sense of closeness with it, one that both boys could comfortably get tangled up in, fear of judgement easily forgotten. He’d even gotten Tsukki to laugh once or twice, for which he was all but beaming with pride.

Some questions were easy – “What would constitute a perfect day for you?” – From that one, Kuroo learned how much his soulmate loved listening to music, how his favorite food was strawberry shortcake and how they both enjoyed playing volleyball, to some degree. Other questions were met with boring answers by the blond – “Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say?” – “No, I don’t.” – “If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?” – “Not really, no.”

And others, however, would often make for interesting, albeit intrusive, topics – “How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?”

Tsukishima’s face twisted into a grimace as he pushed his glasses up. He knew asking if he really _did_ have to answer was useless, as the answer would be “Only if you want to” (Damn Kuroo’s patience!). Truth is, he was curious about Kuroo’s answer too and, for some reason, opening up to his soulmate seemed easier than he’d expected – The man’s aura just screamed “trustworthy” and he’d been incredibly patient with him, so maybe telling him a few deeper things about himself wouldn’t be the end of the world. Sighing, he looked down at his makeshift plate and started talking.

“I’ve had a pretty happy childhood – Happier than other people’s. My parents were accepting of the three tattoos, my brother was nice to me. But I still resent them, for some reason. I feel like we were never ‘close’, just four people living in the same house, eating together every evening and discussing whatever subjects were safe enough not to cause an argument, you know? They love me and they’ve always had my back, so maybe I feel guilty about the fact that I resent their lack of affection. I’m kind of an asshole, if you haven’t noticed.”

A sarcastic smile made its way onto his face, as he kept looking down, refusing to meet his soulmate’s scorching golden eyes after the admission.

Unbeknownst to him, Kuroo’s eyes only spelled understanding.

“Thanks for telling me. Really. But you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it – and I know you’ve probably had people tell you this all the time -, but if you felt that the affection wasn’t enough, then I’m sure that was the case. Maybe one day you can talk to them about it?” He looked to the side, took a deep breath, then gently placed his hand on top of the blond’s, hesitant for fear of scaring him away. “If you let me, one day, no hurry, I promise to give you all the affection you’ve been missing out on.”

As Tsukishima lifted his gaze towards his soulmate, he was met with an overwhelming fondness reflected in his eyes. For some reason, he wholeheartedly believed the man. He cleared his throat awkwardly, a faint blush adorning his cheeks, then asked in a voice far too meek for his liking about his soulmate’s answer to the question.

At that, Kuroo’s gaze hardened, as he pulled it away from the blond’s eyes, looking towards a dark spot in the library. He cleared his throat as well, retrieving his hand (to both of their unexpressed disappointment).

Then he explained it all – from his mother’s obsession with money and status, to his dad’s only priority in life being work, and as he got through it all Tsukishima almost felt… empathy towards him? He couldn’t help but admire the man, realizing only now how good he was at keeping his cool and with how much ease he navigated through life, making friends and living his best life despite his unhappy childhood. For a brief second, he even thought about how wrong his first impression of the man (Cocky asshole who insisted on taking him out on a date because of a tattoo on their wrists) had been. Yes, he was all these things, but he was also kind, patient, understanding and – Although he’d never say it out loud – his puns were sometimes funny.

As silence enveloped the room, since Tsukishima was obviously too awkward with comforting other people, Kuroo just smiled a genuine smile and sat up from his chair.

“Either way, come on; We’ve only got a few questions left and I’ve still got one cheesy date idea to check off my bucket list.”

And as the blond followed Kuroo up some dark stairs, they found themselves on the roof of the building, where some blankets had already been prepared. Tetsurou smiled sheepishly, a tad embarrassed as he now realized that maybe this was, in fact, far too corny for his soulmate’s liking.

But Tsukishima’s snarky remark froze on his tongue as he took in the sight of his soulmate’s awkward grin. It was incredibly endearing and, for some reason, he wordlessly took a blanket and sat down.

“You’re the only person that’s enough of an idiot to take me on a stargazing date when it’s cloudy outside”, he remarked, a small smirk etched onto his face.

Kuroo just chuckled, sitting down next to him and glancing upwards, noticing that the sky was, in fact, completely covered by thick clouds.

“Even though there are no stars, you have to admit that your company is _stellar_ ”, he grinned.

Thus the questions continued, from treasured memories to embarrassing ones, to some more intrusive questions and that Tsukki struggled with, to Kuroo’s delight (“Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.” – It took a bit of coaxing until Tsukishima even told him that he was ‘somewhat good at his job’).

Since they hadn’t answered all of them in order, the final question came to be the twenty-fifth on the list, since they’d both initially deemed it lame.

“Make three true ‘we’ statements each. For instance, ‘We are both in this room feeling ... ‘ “

The two men just stared at each other, waiting for the other to start.

“We’re both in this room feeling like absolute idiots, since we’re stargazing when there are no stars, so practically we’re just two losers on a roof”, replied Tsukishima coolly, turning his head to look at the sky. Kuroo seemed lost in thought.

“I’m on this rooftop feeling…”

“It’s supposed to be a ‘we’ statement, dumbass”, Tsukishima interrupted him.

“ _I’m_ on this rooftop feeling like I’d love to kiss you. If you’re okay with that?”

His confidence seemed to fade with each passing second that the blond refused to meet his gaze, as Kuroo’s eyes anxiously darted from side to side of the rooftop.

Suddenly the blond turned his head towards his soulmate, blush high on his cheeks, as he treaded a hand through Kuroo’s messy hair that he’d aimed so many insults at, murmuring a quick “Idiot” with no meaning behind it and meeting his lips in a kiss.

***

As Kuroo got back to his apartment, he couldn’t stop smiling. It made him sick to his stomach to see how in love he was, but the thought of how cute the blond had looked, pressing his lips to his, was enough to make him hold in a squeal reminiscent of a thirteen-year-old girl who had just held hands with a popular boy. Nowadays, he felt like that more and more. He was undeniably _happy_.

He all but danced to his apartment, already thinking about what this meant for his developing relationship with his soulmate. Maybe next time they could hold hands? And sometime in the future they could…cuddle? Imagining the blond falling asleep in his arms merely widened his warm smile.

Two minutes after he entered the apartment, his phone rang and, upon checking, Kuroo noticed that it was an unknown number. The lawyer quickly picked it up, pondering whether or not to answer, before shrugging and pressing it to his ear. The voice on the other end was heart-wrenching.

“B-Bro, could I maybe come over right now?”

Kuroo instantly recognized the dejected voice as his old-love-turned-neighbor, his previously ecstatic features replaced by concern as he frowned deeply.

“Yeah, definitely. Are you alright?”

But the man had already hung up and slow steps could be heard on the corridor. As he opened the door, Kuroo opened his arms in order to hug his friend, but the latter merely ignored him, slumping down on the couch in his living room. Kuroo stared perplexedly towards Bokuto, quickly dashing to his side. He placed a hand in his (horribly) dyed hair, stroking it, remembering how calming that could be for the man. As his mood seemed to slowly get better, Bokuto started speaking.

“Sorry for barging in like that”, he chuckled weakly, “but ‘kaashi is visiting an old friend and I didn’t want to ask him to come home earlier, even though I’ve had a really bad day.”

Understanding filled Kuroo’s eyes, as he sat down and placed a hand over his friend’s shoulder. He hated seeing Bokuto like this and he hated how much he still was affected by him, but he was his closest friend right now, apparently, and he really wanted to help.

“No problem, you know I’m here for you, Bo. Wanna talk about it while I pour us a drink?”

As the man weakly nodded and Kuroo got to work, he soon learned the reason for his friend’s melancholy. Apparently he always got like that when it came to animals being hurt, and today at work a guy had come in with a severely injured owl, saying how he’d found it on the side of the road and hoped that maybe there was still hope for the little guy.

Bokuto recounted how he did patch him (yes, it was a him) up to the best of his abilities, but he had to wait until tomorrow to see whether or not he could get better. He might go into work the following day and find it dead, but he could also find it alive and ready for more treatment.

And as the two men drank in quite the solemn silence, as Kuroo had frankly no idea what to say in such a situation besides a few reassuring touches, the men ended up passing out on the couch in front of some dumb show that they hadn’t paid attention to, reveling in each other’s company.

_Sometimes life’s bittersweet like that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know whether to smile at Kuroo and Tsukki or cry because of the owl, but nonetheless I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! <3
> 
> The meeting's going to be next chapter (It's high time it came tbh) and I'm warning y'all that it might take me a few days until the next upload, since it's a very important (and probably lengthy) chapter, so bear with me please! :)
> 
> Either way, thank you for reading and I hope you have a really nice day!!


	8. CHAPTER EIGHT

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_“He could only be compared to…”_

…Oh, his soulmate was home - He should come out of his room and greet him and his friend. He could continue writing later, right?

***

If Kuroo’s hands could bury themselves deeper into his hair, they’d pass right through his head. The stack of papers in front of him had represented the absolute bane of his existence for the past week and things didn’t seem to be getting any better. Despite Kuroo’s goofy moments, he could become serious if a case demanded it and oh boy, this one demanded it plenty; He’d known that making it as a lawyer without riding on his father’s coattails was going to be difficult, but receiving such a high-priority case right off the bat (with a pat on his shoulder from his boss, “Good luck, boy”) came as a double edged sword – On the one hand, provided he did a good job, he’d prove that he was a good lawyer and not just his dad’s son. Also, he got to work from home, as to “concentrate better”. On the other, it was a tremendously difficult case and the fear that he wouldn’t succeed was slowly but surely starting to worm its way inside his heart.

Ever since he received that case, he’d been working on it day and night, perfectly organized despite the messy way of working he was known for. It had been…Five days since he’d last gone outside? Seven days since he’d talked to another human being besides asking Kenma to grab his groceries for him. His days consisted of reading the same stack of papers over and over, briefly stopping to microwave a meal and then getting back to work until the wee hours of the night, when he’d go to sleep for exactly four hours before returning to the case.

Taking his glasses off for a moment, Kuroo’s eyes darted around his room, desperately trying to concentrate. He’d been working for about eight hours, the sunshine coming through his window intensifying and then fading until he had to turn his desk lamp on, all without any noticeable progress. But maybe if he read through it one more time?

A sequence of loud knocks made him jump out of his skin, almost falling out of his chair. Groggily, Kuroo sat up, his bones cracking loudly (Wow, he _was_ getting old) and went to his door, glaring through the visor at whoever dared to disturb his working, only to see a certain neighbor of his, fiddling with his fingers and looking down. Magically, all the anger drained from his face as he opened the door.

“Bo? What are you doing here?”

He probably seemed quite scary, large bags under his eyes, exhaustion clear on his features, hair messier than usual and his wearing the now tousled fancy suit he’d put on in the morning, hoping it would get him “in the zone”.

Bokuto slowly looked up at him with dejected eyes.

“Did I make you angry or anything? Or like, do you not want to see me ever again? ‘Cause you’ve been ignoring all my calls and I kept thinking whether I’d annoyed you and then ‘kaashi got mad at me for moping around and told me to come and ask you, but now you’re kinda scary and I’m thinking maybe I did annoy you?”

His puzzled expression was somehow so _cute_ to Kuroo, so cute that he almost forgot to pay attention to what the rambling man was saying. He stood still for a moment, blinking dazedly until he suddenly made sense of the words aimed towards him. His eyes widened, hands instantly going up, gesticulating wildly.

“No, no, no! You didn’t do anything to annoy me, bro, I promise!”

Bokuto’s dejection instantly drained from his eyes, replaced by the beginning of a wide grin, before stopping to a curious expression that looked so exaggerated Kuroo had to hold back a snicker. Not to mention that his pout held so much power in it that Kuroo felt the guilt of a murderer for not answering his phone and essentially isolating himself from the outside world. The unsaid question of “Is this college all over again?” hovered between the two, serving as the last blow in breaking the lawyer’s heart.

“Then why have you been ignoring me?”, Bokuto asked with the tone a kindergartner might use, suspicion clear in his eyes.

Kuroo snaked a hand behind his neck, apologetic smile turning into a grimace.

“I haven’t been ignoring you intentionally, I’ve just been working on this case for the past week - I haven’t left my apartment in five days and Kenma’s been doing all my shopping, I swear!”, he smiled embarrassedly, hand leaving his nape in order to point to the ominous stack of papers on his desk. “But I promise once I’m done I’ll come visit, okay?”, he continued, turning serious.

Bokuto seemed to ponder upon it for a moment, until suddenly grinning bravely, the imaginary lightbulb lighting up above his head.

“I’m not letting my best bro isolate himself like that! You’ve been working for the past week, so you’re coming with me and we’re watching a movie at my place! And since I’m such a good bro, I’m even letting you choose the film!”

Before Kuroo could even open his mouth to refuse him, the owlish man had already grabbed his hand (cue Kuroo’s blush making its way onto his face) and dragged him towards his own apartment, stopping only to close his friend’s door and to unlock his own.

“Akaashi, we’re home!”, he yelled out loudly enough that Kuroo was somehow sure that even the neighbors from the first floor must have heard him. Before he could comment on it, however, he was faced with a reality he’d been trying to avoid – He was going to meet Bokuto’s gorgeous, organized and smart soulmate while looking like an absolute crackhead and he was going to see them being all cuddly and have to deal with it.

Before he could worry too much about it, once again the most beautiful voice the lawyer had ever heard could be faintly heard from behind the door of the room to their left.

“I’m assuming you brought Kuroo-san with you? I’ll be there in a second, I’m trying to finish this chapter.”

Bokuto’s eyes seemed to liven up even more at his soulmate’s voice, turning towards Kuroo and whispering:

“Have I told you he’s a writer? Isn’t that cool?”

Yes, he had told Kuroo that his incredible soulmate was a writer, but right now that wasn’t the raven-haired man’s focus. What was, however, was the door opening slightly, a beautiful figure stepping towards them with grace that even a ballerina would envy.

The next moments seemed to roll in slow-motion, as Akaashi stopped, looked behind him, jumped out of his skin and proceeded to rush towards Kuroo as an…owl??! flew towards the lawyer, probably aiming at his hair, making him wave his arms around him in an attempt to stop the vicious creature. That’s when the writer yelled the last fucking thing he’d expect to ever hear from his first love’s soulmate.

“Hootini, don’t!”

Kuroo’s eyes widened to such an extent that he felt his eyeballs might fall out of his head at any given moment, suddenly stopping all of his movement. _He’d heard that before. He had it on his fucking wrist. Why was Bokuto’s soulmate uttering the incredibly obscure sentence he had a fucking soulmate tattoo of?_

His stopped movements were a bad choice, however, as the owl suddenly found an opening and sank its claws straight into Kuroo’s bedhead, thankfully not grazing his scalp, as the man erratically wrestled with it, tripping over something and colliding with the wall behind him.

Akaashi seemed to finally arrive by his side, apologizing profusely, gently untangling the owl from the lawyer’s hair and quickly taking it back to the room he’d emerged from, locking the door, then dashing back towards Kuroo.

“I’m so sorry, Kuroo-san! Normally he’s very gentle... Are you hurt?”

Kuroo stared dumbly at Akaashi. The man’s words had left him shell-shocked and while he should have been worrying about possible injuries caused by the owl, he could only gaze at the man in front of him, mouth agape, almost forgetting how to blink.

Akaashi threw Kuroo a worried glance, before turning to Bokuto, panic clear in his normally collected voice:

“Kou, do you think he hit his head? Should we take him to a hospital?”

Bokuto rushed towards the catatonic man, both his and his soulmate’s faces too close to the lawyer for comfort, trying to assess the damage. Only then did Kuroo appear to wake up from his self-induced daze, eyes locked to Akaashi’s.

“What…What did you call the owl?”, he weakly pushed out the words.

Suddenly it was Bokuto and Akaashi’s eyes widening, wildly staring at each other and then at Kuroo, solidifying the man’s uncomfortable suspicion that the writer _was_ , in fact, his soulmate. Obviously Bokuto would know what his soulmate’s wrist said and the latter (… _his_ soulmate???) must have memorized those words the instant they’d materialized onto his skin, as most people did at age seventeen.

It was Akaashi who first broke the tense silence, cutting through the tension that had unknowingly wormed its way into the room.

“Kuroo-san…May I see your wrist?”

With almost mechanical movements, Kuroo peeled off the sleeve of his shirt, presenting his wrist to his first love and his soulmate.

If seen from an objective perspective, the looks on the three’s faces would have been hysterical: Bokuto had his mouth open so widely that, had they been in a cartoon, it would have surely hit the ground, while Akaashi seemed collected, if not for his eyes, desperately reading and re-reading the exact words he’d uttered before, neatly written in _his_ handwriting on _his soulmate’s best friend!_

Kuroo’s previous shock was now replaced by embarrassment, as if it were somehow _his_ fault that the tattoo he’d gotten _nine years ago_ was a perfect match to the words spoken by Akaashi on his quest to stop the owl from gouging his eyes out.

The writer nodded solemnly, giving Kuroo his wrist back and proceeding to show his own.

_“Wait, I’m sorry, I didn’t mind at all, since you’re like, really really pretty!”_

_“What…What did you call the owl?”_

_“So, I assume this would be tattooed on your wrist?”_

Kuroo tried to remember how he got into this situation. What life was like before his first love’s soulmate turned out to be his as well. He’d been working on his case, then he got dragged by Bokuto inside his apartment, then got attacked by an owl…

A loud wheeze broke the solemn silence.

“W-Why do you guys have an owl? And did you s-seriously call him _H-Hootini_?” He kept wheezing, tears freely falling down his cheeks from so much laughing. “That’s the dumbest fucking name I’ve ever heard!”

Bokuto joined in as well, not being able to help but laugh at the situation they found themselves in; if anyone saw them now, they’d definitely look like they belonged in a mental institution. Akaashi merely smiled embarrassedly.

“Seriously, why do you have an owl? That’s the most Bokuto thing I’ve seen in my entire life, but why?”, Kuroo guffawed, wiping a tear off his cheek.

Bokuto stopped laughing, grinning widely instead:

“It’s the owl I was telling you about last week!! You know, when I came in all dejected? We’re keeping him until he can be released into the wild, but hasn’t he recovered nicely? I’m so proud of him!!”

Kuroo just smiled broadly back at his friend (He’d secretly worried about that owl too, but he would never say it out loud).

“Yeah, recovered nicely my ass, _I_ will have to recover a huge part of my hair from his _claws_!”

As the two finally settled down, the air in the decently-sized room somehow felt infinitely lighter. Akaashi offered the two a polite smile, before slowly moving towards the couch, motioning for them to sit down next to him.

And as the three found themselves on the mint couch that Kuroo had rekindled his friendship with Bokuto not that long ago on, the silence finally returned, this time ten times more unbearable than before.

This time, it was Bokuto who dared to break it, perking up and grinning far too widely for someone whose soulmate had just matched up with his best friend.

“I, uh, know that you guys don’t really know each other yet, but it’s like, so cool that you’re our soulmate, dude!! We were like, so worried about who those other two people would be, but if it’s you and…didn’t you say you had found a soulmate too? You’re like, the perfectest addition to ‘kaashi and I!!”

He was positively _beaming_ and that was the first of the many times Kuroo and Akaashi would share a Look regarding Bokuto, but they didn’t know it yet. It was suddenly clear to both of them why the impulsive man hadn’t had more of a dramatic reaction – They’d been too caught up in their own shock to notice. But apparently poor Bokuto hadn’t fully grasped the extent of the situation and the reason why the two people his age he held dearest weren’t happier to find each other’s words on their wrists.

Prussian blue eyes met golden ones over tufts of white hair still blabbering excitedly, concern and the tiniest hint of unintentional pity reflected in them. Both were hesitant to break the news to the man, as they knew what type of reaction they would garner. Finally Akaashi broke, opening his mouth but being stopped abruptly by Kuroo taking pity on him and holding a hand up, signaling a kind “It’s alright, I got it”, turning towards the object of their concern.

“Bo, listen to me.”

The man made a sound that somehow reflected exactly the way a question mark would sound like if people read it out loud and looked at him, confusion clear in his gleaming eyes. Kuroo couldn’t help but take his hands in his, fighting to maintain eye contact.

_“Bo, the problem is that we aren’t soulmates.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Okay, so maybe this is a bit short and unsatisfying for The Big Meeting™, but I just thought it'd look nicer in the finished product if I split this chapter in two or three? Please don't be mad at me haha
> 
> Either way, so Kuroo and Akaashi have finally met, so we're getting close to actually seeing all four of them in the same room? Woah, took me way more words than I'd expected to get here lmao. 
> 
> Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter and won't kill me for making it so short? Thank you very much for reading and I hope you have a nice day!! <3


	9. CHAPTER NINE

**CHAPTER NINE**

_“He could only be compared to a man who’d lived his entire life under a glass bell, eccentric personality almost a shield from every little thing fighting to break his heart. And yet, his friend, serious when necessary, but just as aloof as him oftentimes, completed him.”_

The words formed into the writer’s mind staring at his two soulmates, and yet with no paper to write it on, it was quite the lost passage. Not like he’d have used that in the book anyway – It was too blunt.

***

“Bo, the problem is that _we_ aren’t soulmates.”

That was the moment that realization flashed on the man’s face, eyes widening almost comically as he stared between his soulmate and his best friend (his soulmate’s soulmate??). Akaashi and Kuroo could already sense the dejection coming off of him in waves, as the gravity of the situation finally dawned on him, making them share another Look, the signals of an incoming mood of Bokuto’s (specifically the one where he got incredibly sad and very few things could help him out of it) already clear.

The vet looked down, holding his knees to his chest, burying his head inside of them. The white and black of his hair turned into gray as he shook his head violently. “W-We aren’t soulmates…So then, will you both leave me to be with each other…? But I don’t want to lose any of you…”

Kuroo immediately pressed his hand to the man’s broad back, rubbing reassuring circles, as Akaashi did the same from his side of the couch. They’d already dealt with this particular mood of his on a variety of situations, from harsh college deadlines to Bokuto forgetting to buy milk one day and getting teased for his bad memory.

“Dude, Akaashi and I barely know each other, but I’m sure he loves you very much! Yeah, this is weird, but we’ll figure it out and I promise neither of us is leaving! Besides,” , Kuroo smirked, ready to deliver the line that he hoped would get his friend out of his mood, “why would he leave someone as amazing and strong as you?”

Akaashi kept it up, despite disliking to express his feelings in such an uncharacteristic manner. “I do love you, and I’m sure Kuroo-san thinks you’re just as amazing.”

( _If only Keiji knew that Kuroo thought he was far more than amazing.)_

At the speed of light, Bokuto rose from the couch, throwing his hands in the air victoriously.

“Yes, you’re right! I _am_ very cool! Hey hey hey!! I’ll help you figure it out and we’ll all be together!”

The two men all but pressed their hands to their ears, the vet’s yells almost deafening. After a torturous minute of Bokuto’s boasting, it was silent again, and now they really had to talk through it like mature adults (ugh), all three refusing to meet the others’ eyes, hoping it wouldn’t be them who had to start.

Finally, Akaashi cleared his throat. “Kuroo-san, I have no idea why this happened, but we can’t blame this on a mistake, since both of our tattoos match. Kou has told me over and over again that you weren’t soulmates and I trust his word, so I’ll have to admit I’m puzzled as to what to do next. What’s your opinion?”

Kuroo tried to gouge out the writer’s reaction, but had trouble with it. He was really embarrassed now – Was he a homewrecker? Did Akaashi hate him for their matching tattoos? And, most importantly, _why the fuck was fate so rude to him?_ It had let him pine over Bokuto for years, culminating in his taking his leave from the man’s life and now, as things were finally looking up, he was paired up with his soulmate, but not him?

Was fate maybe… Not as reliable as he’d expected?

Realizing that he’d been asked a question, he picked at an inexistent stain on his shirt, trying to gather his thoughts. He was a lawyer, for God’s sake, words should come easily to him! But this was a situation he’d never anticipated, and quite a messy one at that too. He settled for polite and formal, since that somehow felt easier to do.

“Well first of all, uh, sorry for barging into your lives like this? I have honestly never heard of a situation like this before and I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do either. But before we look further into this, maybe I could ask the other soulmate I’ve found if he could come over, see if he matches either one of you?”

The _other_ soulmate. Man, he’d expected to say that at some point in his life, since he had three tattoos, but definitely not in this context. He left the statement open-ended on purpose, not knowing which outcome would be worse: If they didn’t agree to it, he’d just have to live his life knowing that one of his soulmates was his next door neighbor who was dating his first love, which would suck, but the prospect of Tsukki coming over and being soulmates with just him and Akaashi was dreadful – He could already imagine how awful Bokuto would feel! If he was soulmates with all three of them, then the issue of Kuroo and Bokuto not being soulmates would take an even more complicated turn. And if he was soulmates with just Kuroo, then… What were they going to do about Akaashi being in the mix?

Kuroo let out a yawn, suddenly realizing how absolutely _wrecked_ he was. He’d been working non-stop for a week and then he got thrown in this peculiar situation that he saw absolutely no good outcome for, nor an explanation.

Was fate allowed to make mistakes?

Akaashi seemed lost in thought, but with one look towards his owlish soulmate, he simply turned towards Kuroo and nodded.

“…Alright, I’ll give him a call.”

Kuroo got up from the couch and entered the kitchen, wanting to offer the couple a few moments alone, but when he retrieved his phone from his pocket, he could only stare at the contact picture of the man he was slowly but surely falling in love with (a picture he’d snapped when the other wasn’t paying attention, brows cutely furrowed as he was messaging someone from work), almost waiting for the device to burst into flames in his hand. Was calling him a good idea? He’d already called the two of them “two quarters of a whole” and well…this certainly wasn’t whole. Not to mention the fact that he’d been slowly coaxing him to come out of his shell and it seemed to be working. He remembered the way Tsukki had kissed him last time, gently pulling him forward by his hair, fond look hidden beneath long eyelashes, the blush that was oh-so-cute on him and yet he’d been trying to hide it, looking downwards as if Kuroo wouldn’t still stare at him as if he was the moon on a starless sky. He didn’t want to lose this, especially not by forcing things too early.

And yet… He had no choice, did he?

Stomach sinking, Kuroo pressed “call”.

***

“Kou, how are you feeling?”, Akaashi was quick to ask, wrapping an arm around Bokuto’s shoulders as soon as his newfound soulmate left the room.

 _Soulmate…_ The words felt foreign in his mouth when they weren’t referring to Bokuto and he couldn’t help but want to dislike Kuroo for the predicament he’d placed them in. They’d been ecstatic, freshly moved in, and yet the mere presence of this man had already saddened the vet three times ever since they became neighbors and countless others in college. He remembers the first time Kou ever told him about this man, nostalgic smile and a tone so smooth, one that the writer had only heard when his soulmate first told him he loved him. He remembers jealousy extending its vile, long fingers and trying to wrap him in it, as Bokuto had always referred to the lawyer as a friend, but the fondness looming just beneath his words would imply differently. He remembers coming to terms with it, reminding Bokuto that _he_ is not going to leave like his old best friend did.

He remembers hearing that godforsaken name as they moved in and already seeing his soulmate dejected due to the man ignoring him, and he remembers the way he’d tried to be supportive of Kou and his friendship and yet for some reason he would always be away whenever the two met up, out on an errand or another.

And now, finally meeting the object of his unexplained jealousy after two years and him turning out to be breathtakingly attractive, even in a crumpled suit and fighting with an owl, and him turning out to be his _soulmate_ … And finally seeing how unbelievably _gentle_ he was with Bokuto, light touches and soft words almost instantly taking him out of his bad mood…

To his dismay, Akaashi was starting to understand why Kou liked him so much.

“I’m…I don’t know? I don’t know how to feel, ‘kaashi…”, his soulmate replied after heavy pondering, reminding the writer that the issue was still very much unresolved and he’d have time to think about his feelings afterwards, but not now.

Akaashi raised his eyes to meet his soulmate’s, face unreadable. “Why didn’t you tell him about…You know?”

The man’s hair seemed to turn downwards, as he leaned his head on the writer’s shoulder, letting out a noncommittal noise.

“Why would I? I mean…He probably wasn’t even our soulmate, you know? A real soulmate wouldn’t have done what he did, right?”

Keiji really didn’t want to push the subject, but having remembered Bokuto’s run-in with an alleged soulmate brought even more trouble along. A sudden chill ran down Akaashi’s spine, as an array of scenarios seemed to roll through his mind as if played on a large cinema screen.

_Just because they had three soulmates didn’t necessarily mean they’d have the same ones._

Truth to be told, there probably were couples who had an open marriage and sometimes, multiple soulmates, who perhaps didn’t match the ones their partner had. He’d never seen it, but it was a possibility, wasn’t it?

And yet he’d never even considered opening his relationship, so if the universe was pushing _that_ , well good luck, ‘cause he would never act on his other soulmates if Bokuto wasn’t by his side.

With that train of thought, Akaashi straightened his back, shaking his soulmate off, then turned towards him, gently caressing his cheek, as if the vet might break from the softest of touches.

“I hope you do know that, no matter what, if the man that’s supposed to come over isn’t your soulmate either, we’ll just keep on living as we have. I’m not going to leave you.”

The vet seemed to melt into his hand, lovestruck gaze aimed at Akaashi as he let out a small yawn. “You’re the best, ‘kaashi.”

And, for some reason, that was enough to calm his nerves.

***

“You don’t have to do this, you know?”, Kuroo grimaced behind the wheel, glancing with concern towards his soulmate. He’d picked him up from his apartment after a lengthy phone call, and yet he still felt guilty for dragging the blond into his mess. _Their_ mess, hopefully.

“But I do, don’t I?”, came the cynical reply.

Kuroo decided not to answer that, turning the music up and for once loving having to look at the road, since he could easily avoid eye contact. There was a bad feeling churning in his gut and he had a vague idea why – Bokuto and Tsukishima had always represented completely different parts of his life. He had never imagined them meeting, yet now they were sort of forced to do so. Taking a deep breath, he kept driving, somehow charmed by the passing streetlights and the emptiness of the road, Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” softly playing in the background.

“You know it’s not your fault, right? I mean I’m not sure how much I like the idea of meeting them, but it’s my choice to come”, spoke Tsukishima in an uninterested manner, though his tone betrayed his rare moment of empathy. “Besides,”, he added, smiling meanly, “I do have to see the owl who proved my theory of your hair being a literal bird nest.”

Taken off guard, Kuroo actually smiled at that, eyes still glued to the road. He felt pathetic that Tsukishima, out of all people, had to console him, but his usual snark brought a sense of normalcy to the situation and he was forever grateful for that.

As they finally made their way towards the apartment, Kuroo’s fingers lingered in front of the door. This could potentially change everything. This meeting, the first words Tsukishima would speak to the two, these small factors would decide his future.

He needn’t have worried, however, for as soon as he found the courage to knock, Bokuto opened the door and proceeded to…stare.

_“It’s you!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there isn't really much happening in this chapter, but I really felt like it was necessary to touch upon the feelings of the three - Please don't kill me lmao. Also, I've always tried to keep chapters between 1700-2300 words, since I thought it'd look nicer? Either way, I've got most things that are supposed to happen planned out, so I know that maybe this is hella slow burn-y and (hopefully not) boring, but bear with me please!! 
> 
> Also woah, Tsukki and Bokuto have already met? Shocker.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for the next one!! <3


	10. CHAPTER TEN

**CHAPTER TEN**

_“He could only be compared to a piece of an incomplete puzzle, forever searching for its missing peers.”_

That…wasn’t his original soulmate that he was writing about. This was the one he’d recently found! The writer pounded his head on his desk, the situation he was in apparently worsening his writer’s block.

Although…Would writing about his other soulmates be _that_ bad for his book? _The answer is a resounding yes, as we barely know each other and they’d disrupt the flow of the story. Get a grip, Akaashi._

***

Black. White. Never grey. Those were Bokuto’s moods and he enjoyed it that way – If he was going to feel something, why not feel it to the extreme? Whether it was sparks of joy providing the light the flowers inside of him needed to bloom or the devastating sadness fueling the tears necessary to water them, his soul would still burst in millions of colors after a mood was over.

And yet, for once, staring at the man in front of him, a man he’d tried to forget but had never fully left his mind, he didn’t know how to feel.

He still looked exactly as he had a year and a half ago. Arrogant gleam in his eyes, instantly diminishing into the muted down version of a deer caught in the headlights, recognition briefly flashing in them before being covered by the reflection of his glasses. Bokuto couldn’t believe his eyes, not even knowing where to begin with the man who had caused him so much trouble. He’d never been good at keeping his calm, so his only reply was a far too loud:

“It’s you!”

***

…No. This wasn’t possible. Tsukishima refused to believe that one of the biggest factors of his reluctance regarding soulmates was standing right in front of him, staring him down. The audacity of this man! How dare he act all surprised, after he’d forever messed up Tsukishima’s view on the lines on his wrist? Kuroo had been working hard at getting him to open up, being the kindest, most patient man in the world, yet not being afraid to sass him right back when he was getting snarky, and for what? So that Tsukishima could still have trouble trusting his soulmarks because of _him_?

Inside, he was seething. On the outside, besides a surprised raise of his eyebrows, the blond hoped he looked collected enough. Head held high, back straight, he looked down at the man in front of him.

“Ah, what a shame I’d _run_ into you again”, he replied, dangerous glint in his eyes as he referenced their previous meeting.

This didn’t garner the reaction he’d expected, however, as the man seemed…upset? He had furrowed his brows, looking down with a pout rivaling that of any puppy, hopefully as ashamed as he deserved to feel for what he’d done. Tsukishima merely smirked at the display.

A melodic voice suddenly rang out from behind the owlish man, soft and yet commanding.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Enough that I would rather argue that running is _your_ strong point, Tsukishima-san.”

At that moment, for Tsukishima, time stood still. He glanced behind the man at the door, laying his eyes on a man with curly black hair and the most feminine features he’d ever seen, yet somehow managing to rival the blond with how intimidating he was. He was shorter than him, but the confidence and calm with which he’d just uttered the words on Tsukishima’s wrist _(“I’ve heard a lot about you”)_ almost made up for it.

If the calculations in his head were correct, then he was the soulmate of the man at the door and, presumably, Kuroo’s. He shouldn’t have been surprised at the development and yet, suddenly realizing he was in the same room with all three people he’d spent the past seven years of his life thinking about, the blond couldn’t help but stand still and stare at each and every one of them.

Kuroo. The guy he was sort of falling in love with, although he’d never admit it – He was studying everyone in the room with a confused frown on his face, possibly trying to make sense of the situation, making Tsukki briefly feel bad for ignoring him. The man at the door – The one who’d hurt him a while back, was still sporting that annoying pout. The man behind him, the pretty one – He had virtually no emotion on his face, head held just as high as the blond, not relenting. They were his _soulmates_. They were supposed to spend _the rest of their_ _lives_ together. And yet there was an issue, from what he’d understood from Kuroo, although he wouldn’t give him the details. And, well, he was also _fighting_ with two of them right now.

As Tsukishima recovered from his self-induced wonder, he realized that he still had to reply. He grinned all-knowingly, trying to gain the upper hand in the unspoken battle with the pretty one.

“So, I assume this would be tattooed on your wrist? Since we’re soulmates and all, hm? Well, I’ll give you some friendly advice: I’d recommend putting a leash on your soulmate here with the puppy eyes, since _he_ ’s the one with a tendency for running off.”

_Success_. The pretty one raised his eyebrows for a brief second, quickly coming back, hands clenching at his sides after the comment. Apparently, he didn’t enjoy people badmouthing his soulmate. He opened his mouth to comment some more but was abruptly stopped.

Bang!

Kuroo sheepishly placed the hand he’d loudly slapped the door with behind his head, fakely cordial expression quickly darkening.

“Glad I _finally_ have your attention. I don’t know what the hell went on between you guys and why you were running, but the situation we’re in is ridiculous enough without your sassing, and if anyone would be so _kind_ as to explain to me what’s going on I’d appreciate it, you know, being the soulmate of two guys in here and all. So, would you _mind_ doing me the favor of sitting down on the couch and not talking like middle-schoolers? Thank you.”

Without even sparing a glance at anyone else, the lawyer made calm steps towards the couch, sitting down, hands on his lap, a sign Tsukki recognized as the man being embarrassed at his outburst. The situation finally dawned on Tsukishima – One of the two guys wasn’t Kuroo’s soulmate. Looking back, it had been obvious, but he’d been so caught up in his own bullshit that it had completely slipped his mind - He’d never heard of anything like that before, but he found it wise to ponder upon it after he’s cleared things up with his two new soulmates, so he decided to “hmpf” and follow the soulmate he actually _knew_ something about to the couch. The one at the door had to be dragged by the pretty one, and finally all four of them sat down, albeit a tad cramped up. Three pairs of eyes were on Kuroo, but the man seemed adamant about not starting the discussion, so the pretty one took the lead.

“Kuroo-san, I apologize. It appears than Tsukishima-san and I are soulmates, as he also is with Kou. I must admit, I was perhaps rude, but I can’t be cordial with someone who has caused this much trouble for Kou and I, despite it happening over a year ago.”

He glared once more at Tsukki, the blond maintaining his uninterested façade. Inside, Tsukishima was seething. He extended his hand towards the pretty one, voice pleasant, yet anyone within a ten-meter radius could tell how pissed he was.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name?”

He completely ignored the other one (Kou, judging by the pretty one’s words?). He had no interest in interacting with him.

The pretty one reached out and shook his hand a tad too forcefully to be friendly, murmuring a quick “Akaashi Keiji.” As an afterthought, he added: “And the man to my right, _our_ soulmate, is Bokuto Koutarou.”

“Well, _Akaashi Keiji_ , would you mind explaining to me how I could have possibly hurt _your_ soulmate? Last I remembered, _he_ was the one who ran off right after I told him the words I’m guessing are on his wrist.” 

He knew he should’ve said _our_ soulmate or whatever, but he didn’t consider the two of them as such. At that, to everyone’s surprise, ‘Bokuto’ got up from the couch, gaze still pointed downwards, but now he had taken two steps to the left in order to face Tsukishima.

“What do you mean, I ran? I went to grab ‘kaashi and when I came back, you weren’t there!” He raised his head, meeting Tsukishima’s eyes in a gloomy stare. “…Was I not good enough for you?”

Tsukishima’s head felt like it was about to explode. Here was the object of his repressed anger for over a year, and yet _he_ was acting like the victim! He stood up too, all calm dissipating from his body, the anger and confusion taking their toll.

“What do you mean? It was _me_ who wasn’t good enough for _you_ , judging by your reaction at the store!”

After Tsukishima’s outburst, the room fell silent, the tension easily able to be cut through with a knife. Akaashi had been staring at him for a while now, perfectly shaped eyebrow arched in thought, thought which he was finally about to express.

“Both of you, sit down. I believe there’s been a misunderstanding on both sides, so Kou, Tsukishima-san, if you would like to explain your parts of the story, I’m sure Kuroo-san and I would be more than pleased to listen.”

Kou’s hurt look met Tsukishima’s vulnerable one, as the blond quickly gathered himself, starting to talk.

***

He’d been doing his usual Thursday grocery run, going to grab milk and some fruit, since Yamaguchi kept pestering him that the only fruit he ever ate were the strawberries in shortcakes and he wanted to prove him wrong. As he reached the dairy aisle, picked up the lowest fat percentage carton of milk he could find and went to head towards the register, a hand on his shoulder stopped him, almost making him drop the milk.

Looking back surprised, he saw a man about his age, hair dyed in white streaks and the confused golden eyes of someone lost in an everchanging magical maze, not the fucking dairy aisle at the grocery store. Said man immediately made eye contact, asking a question Tsukishima wasn’t sure he was ready to hear.

_“Can you recommend a detergent that gets pet stains out of clothing?”_

Tsukishima froze. He had no idea whether to be amazed at the fact that this man was his _soulmate_ , the first one he’d ever found, confused at how different he looked from what he’d imagined, or maybe amused by the fact that his apparent soulmate asked him about detergent on the fucking dairy aisle.

He raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Maybe try the detergent aisle, for starters.”

The man’s eyebrows raised so high it looked as if they were going to fly off of his face, as he broke into a wide grin.

“Oh my God, are you…? Are we…?”

He looked like an overexcited puppy and for some reason Tsukishima already found him kind of cute, despite the crazy aura he was emanating. The blond let the smallest of smiles grace his face, trying to act nonchalant despite the small flush already rising to his cheeks.

“It would seem that we are.”

And now, just like every soulmate meeting, they were supposed to exchange numbers, names, meet up a few times maybe and proceed to live happily ever after, right?

No. The man suddenly seemed to realize something, glancing at Tsukki one more time and sprinting out of sight, leaving the blond confused and just a tad heartbroken. Why did he run? Did he have something on his face? Was he _that_ repulsive?

Maybe he’d gone to grab something from a shelf and would be back.

…Right?

And yet, almost fifteen minutes later, the man was still out of sight and Tsukishima was starting to get cold from the freezers, so he decided that it probably wasn’t worth his time anyway and went home, pretending nothing happened, although his heart was still pounding loudly and he kind of hated himself for already driving someone allegedly important away like that.

It had been his first soulmate and he’d managed to make him leave in…What, five seconds? For some reason, he already knew that the other two would probably react the same way, so maybe this soulmate thing just wasn’t for him after all. And that was completely fine.

_Completely. Fine._

***

Bokuto’s eyes meet his, frown etched onto his face, his famous pout returning.

“That’s not how it happened! I went to grab ‘kaashi so that he could meet you too and see if you were soulmates, then we came back and you weren’t there! _We_ waited for half an hour, but you’d already left the store!”

Tsukishima looked as if he’d heard the most offensive thing in the world and opened his mouth to reply, before being interrupted by Akaashi, who seemed to have had the epiphany of his life.

“Kou, wait a second, please. We didn’t wait at the dairy aisle, you get too cold to stand there for more than two minutes. Plus that I clearly remember the strong smell of detergent. We waited for Tsukishima-san at the wrong aisle.”

Tsukishima’s eyes widened, as did Bokuto’s, as they stared at each other sheepishly, not knowing what was appropriate to say at that moment. The vet looked down, rubbing the back of his head with a crooked smile.

“I’m…Sorry? I guess I got so excited after I met you, I forgot what aisle we were on? And I looked at the tattoo and it said detergent? Aw man, this is my fault, isn’t it?”

“It’s…Quite alright. I could have gone looking for you as well, I suppose”, Tsukishima replied, now embarrassed by his previous outburst as well.

A hand clasped both of them on one shoulder, lazily draping itself on them. Kuroo stood next to them, amused glint in his eyes.

“So basically this whole fiasco was because Bo didn’t know the difference between detergent and dairy?”

As the two timidly nodded at him, Kuroo let their shoulders go and wheezed loudly. “You’re such a fucking dumbass sometimes, Bo, I love you.”

Silence.

Silence.

“I, uh, I mean friend-wise, you know, like how I always tell my friends I love them?” Kuroo scrambled away from both boys and proceeded to excuse himself.

Thankfully for him, Bokuto bought it, grinning widely at his friend. “Hell yeah, I love you too, bro! Platonically and all!”

The two proceeded to do some weird hand signs that were probably their greeting from their college days? Akaashi, the only one left on the couch, let an amused smile grace his face as the irony of the situation dawned on him – A few hours ago he’d have dreaded even seeing Kuroo, and now he was rooting for him to be soulmates with _his_ boyfriend. It was weird, how the two seemed to have such obvious chemistry and yet they were the only one out of the mix, and Keiji promised himself to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

Tsukishima glanced towards the writer and the two shared a Look of their own, the first of many, as their other two soulmates fought playfully and held each other by the shoulders, yelling about how they were “the bestest bros” and nobody could separate them. It suddenly clicked in both of their minds how all of their soulmates had something charming or intriguing about them and how maybe, just maybe, besides the Bokuto and Kuroo fiasco, they could work something out.

_Maybe fate could be kind sometimes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes indeed we are going to have at least one more chapter based on the meeting I'm so sorry!!! I just want to keep all of them of equal-ish sizes? 
> 
> Also, I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing? I'm trying to focus on both feelings and action and normally I only write stuff that's strictly feeling-based so I tried my best? If anything doesn't make sense feel free to ask and I'll probably correct it in the chapter too! Hopefully you guys enjoyed it nonetheless? :) 
> 
> Either way, so we finally know what happened with Bokuto and Tsukki, Kuroo almost confessed and Akaashi has already kinda caught on to everyone's feelings? Hm, wonder where this could go...
> 
> Nevertheless, thank you guys so much for reading and commenting (Your comments literally make my day?? <3) and I hope you'll enjoy what's to come as well!! <3


	11. CHAPTER ELEVEN

**CHAPTER** **ELEVEN**

_“He could only be compared to…”_

To what? This was just like a month ago when he’d first started writing the sentence. Shutting his eyes tightly, Akaashi finally accepted that he had writer’s block. That was it. He had no more ideas, the situation at hand overshadowing any single artistic thought inside of him and he hated it. Would he ever be able to move on from this fucking sentence?

***

After Kuroo had almost confessed his undying love for the one person in the room who wasn’t his soulmate, Akaashi had managed to calm both him and the man in question down enough in order for them to discuss the situation they found themselves in. However, as everyone was once again seated on the mint couch, no one dared to say a word, which is why the raven-haired man found himself glancing towards Bokuto, stating the obvious.

"So...You're Akaashi's soulmate, Tsukishima's as well, but not mine?", asked Kuroo with maybe more confusion than necessary. His heart was pounding and his control on the situation seemed to be diminishing. He was so _tired_ , internal clock sounding like the world’s loudest alarm as he realized that he still hadn’t finished the case he was working on and the situation he was in was one that honestly left him at a loss for words. How _does_ one react when finding out they don’t match with their soulmates?

"And you're Akaashi and Tsukishima's soulmate, but not mine", added Bokuto helpfully. He was the only one in the room who didn’t look exhausted, knee bouncing as he genuinely appeared to be thinking about the situation, only to come up empty-handed.

"And yet we've both still got one soulmate to find, while they don't."

Kuroo dragged a hand through his messy bedhead. This was going to be more complicated than he'd anticipated.

It was at that moment that Akaashi decided to speak up after heavy pondering (Or at least that’s what Kuroo suspected), dark circles visible under his eyes, the late hour of the night probably not helping anyone’s thinking process.

“Excuse me for doubting any of you, but Kuroo-san, Kou, are you absolutely sure that you didn’t tell each other the words when you met?”

Tsukishima seemed to nod approvingly. “More importantly, how _did_ you meet?”

At that, Kuroo’s eyes instantly met Bokuto’s, the latter placing a hand around Kuroo’s shoulders, matching grins on their faces.

“Bro, they want to know the _iconic_ story of how we met.”

“Dude, this is just like college! Do you want to tell it or can I?”

“Aw dude, I wanted to tell it, but like, you totally should as well!”

“How about I tell the first part and you tell the second?”

“But the second part is lame!”

“Fine, I’ll tell the second and you tell the first.”

“I don’t care who says it, just tell us already, it’s three in the morning and I have work tomorrow”, mumbled Tsukishima, effectively interrupting the totally platonic bro-show in front of him.

Bokuto and Kuroo stared at each other once more, the vet starting to tell the awaited story.

***

It was the most beautiful September morning Bokuto had seen in his entire life. Or perhaps it would have been, provided that he wasn’t so hungover that the world could have come to an end in front of him and he would have only complained about his headache. First college party he’d ever been to, first time drinking legally and honestly his first time seeing how true the stereotypes of wild college parties were – The previous night had had it all. As he groggily cracked one eye open, he was shocked to see…

An actual angel! Bringing him water! Although he was sure that angels weren’t supposed to be that hot (no homo!). The mysterious man smiled kindly at him, bringing the cup to Bokuto’s lips in the totally straight and kind gesture of a bro.

“Hey, I, uh, saw that you have three tattoos and maybe this is hella dumb, but I have three tattoos too? So I was wondering if this is on your wrist?”

It took Bokuto a good two minutes to make sense of the words the man had told him, head still pounding, as he stared at the painfully awkward expression on the messy-haired stranger’s face. He squinted at him, then suddenly opened his eyes widely, energy returning as he looked at his wrist for a reminder, only to notice that the words he’d heard weren’t familiar. His hair seemed to deflate and he gave the man a disappointed look.

“Sorry, dude, it’s not on my wrist.”

It was clear that the man didn’t recognize those words either, so he shrugged and just smiled resignedly.

“Ah well, it was worth a try. Sorry to bother ya”, he did some finger guns and made a few steps away from the couch where Bokuto had probably flung himself the previous night in his drunken stupor, only to suddenly turn on his heels.

“Actually, wait” – Bokuto lifted his head off the couch pillow, curiosity clear on his features – “you’re the guy from last night who won the keg stand contest, right?”

Keg…Stand? Bokuto’s mind was still hazy regarding the previous night’s events. He’d come to the party, drunk a few shots with some pretty girls, danced to Mr. Brightside and then… Yes, he’d participated in the keg stand contest and…Did he win? Yeah, he won, since he remembers the feeling of elation and then the entire night is pretty much lost on him, probably due to the inhuman quantities of beer he’d consumed.

Looking towards the stranger, he grinned widely despite his splitting headache, throwing a big thumbs up. The stranger beamed at him.

“Congrats, dude! You’re, like, a legend! And you’re only a first-year too, right?”

Bokuto’s ego swelled to up to three times its normal size, miraculously getting up from the couch in order to high five the guy. Before he could do that, however, the stranger’s smile shifted into an arrogant smirk, leaning on the wall to his left, hands resting casually in his pockets.

“Be careful, though, I came in second. Next time I’m kicking your ass and that’s a promise.”

Color Bokuto intrigued. He offered him a smirk of his own, then got closer to him and tried to stare him down, despite the stranger being taller than him.

“Why wait for next time? Same place, tonight. Loser pays for the beer.”

***

Bokuto gleamed as he finished his story, Kuroo grinning and pretending to wipe a fake tear off his cheek.

“That was beautiful, bro. As always.”

The vet beamed back. “You tell it just as well, bro!”

Tsukishima found himself intrigued and not as annoyed as he should have been at the discovery of Kuroo’s “bro” side. He’d only seen him as a polite, but cocky and sincere guy, and now he was growing surprisingly fond of this side as well, if only for how happy he looked when performing his antics. And as the two men kept up their, frankly, annoying charade, Tsukishima snuck a glance at Akaashi. He raised his eyebrows as in “I’m tired, please take care of them so we can go home?”

Akaashi seemed to understand, raising his eyebrows in what Tsukki understood as a “Me too, but I don’t know what to say at this point?”

Then they shared a weirdly fond look towards their respective soulmates, quickly snapping out of it. It was weird how in synch they were and it made Tsukishima feel some type of way that he couldn’t really explain. Finally, he took his glasses off, unknowingly garnering everyone’s attention as he rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Looking up and seeing everyone’s stare was a tad unnerving, but he couldn’t bother to crack a snarky remark. However, an idea did seem to strike him.

“Kuroo, Bokuto, would you mind showing us what tattoos weren’t from Akaashi and I?”

Of course he knew Kuroo’s tattoo, he’d memorized it without wanting to a while back, but he didn’t want him to know that.

The two men rolled up their sleeves, pointing at one line each.

_“Look, I’ve lost my pants, but at least I’ve found myself.”_

_“I think you’ve got the wrong person.”_

Reading Bokuto’s tattoo over and over like a man gone mad, Kuroo wanted to lie down somewhere and laugh for hours. Hysterically. Out of all the things that could have been placed on the man’s wrist, it just had to be something that would ironically enough describe their situation perfectly, huh? Fuck you very much, fate. He glanced fondly towards the man who had burst back into his life only three weeks prior to this moment, somehow still managing to steal his heart one more time with his lame jokes, golden eyes and hyperactive moods. He was _smitten_ and it only dawned on him at the worst possible moment in the world.

_Yeah, you did get the wrong person, Bo. It should’ve been me._

But he wasn’t supposed to think that. He was supposed to go ahead and find his other soulmate and help Bokuto find his. Besides, Kuroo could only imagine how awful it must feel to have Bokuto’s wrong person tattoo – It would have messed with his self-esteem so badly, knowing one of his soulmates out there might not want to interact with him. And after the Tsukishima situation, he imagines Bokuto would have had soulmates ruined for him – And yet, somehow, he was still just as excited about discovering his future soulmates, optimism only rarely defeated by his dejected moods. The lawyer couldn’t help but admire that.

Kuroo noticed Tsukishima sneak him a look he couldn’t exactly read, but he felt self-conscious enough as to avert his gaze from the vet he’d been unknowingly ogling. Akaashi cleared his throat.

“Then I suppose you guys are supposed to have different soulmates? That’s difficult…”

At the realization that two more people might be joining this headache of a mix, a somber silence seemed to drape over the entirety of the room. Everyone was sleep deprived, anxious and confused and you could easily tell by the tension looming in the air. It didn’t really affect Bokuto, apparently.

“I mean, I can’t speak for Kuroo, but I don’t really think my other soulmate would want anything to do with me? Because of the tattoo?”, he rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly. “So I’d like to, uhm, I mean if ‘kaashi’s okay with that, but I’d love to get to know Tsukishima too? Since we’re soulmates and all? And if we’re a good match and Kuroo and ‘kaashi are too, then I don’t think I’d mind sharing with him?”, he looked down anxiously, fiddling with his fingers at the risky proposal.

Akaashi seemed surprised, but underneath he gleamed with pride due to how mature Bokuto was being about their situation. He leaned his head on the vet’s shoulder in silent appreciation, gesture normally uncharacteristic of him and yet the late hour was taking its toll on him.

“I wouldn’t mind, but what if one of us got jealous? Especially if it were you or Kuroo-san.”

Bokuto seemed to seriously ponder upon it for a second, before perking up with an idea. “But ‘kaashi, throughout the years after you got the soulmate tattoos, didn’t you come to terms with the fact that you’d have to share at some point?”

Kuroo stared at him understandingly but didn’t nod. He dreaded the idea of sharing Akaashi and Tsukishima with Bokuto, but not because he wanted them to himself specifically, but because he wouldn’t have any romantic interaction with Bokuto. He supposed he could fall in love with Akaashi, and with Tsukishima he was halfway there, but having to see the people he loved kiss and cuddle Bokuto daily and not being able to get in there too?

Yeah, that would hurt.

But before he could get too inside of his head, Tsukishima spoke up, brows furrowed.

“No offense, but why are you all so sure _I_ ’d be interested? My life’s as complicated as it is, I don’t think I’d enjoy adding this…Messy situation to it. Too much of a headache. And I mean, after all, who really gives a shit about soulmates?”

Bokuto snapped his head towards him at the speed of light. His hair had deflated and dejection seemed to already be coming off of him in waves. Akaashi and Kuroo shared a knowing look, already by his side, as Tsukishima was faced with his soulmate’s first dejected mood, big golden eyes staring at him beneath grey lashes, sadness reflected back at him.

“But soulmates are important…? Do you hate us, Tsukishima? “

Tsukishima’s heart seemed to break at the sight. He was more than a little confused at the man’s reaction, yet he also felt somehow…bad(?) for causing it. The fact that all three men seemed to be breathlessly waiting for his reaction only made his case worse.

Before he could answer, Kuroo raised his head and made eye contact with him.

“Tsukishima, just because he’s all dejected doesn’t mean you have to say yes. It’s still your choice and we’ll be fine with whatever you decide, you know.”

The blond hated the sincerity in his soulmate’s gaze. Why did Kuroo have to be so nice and understanding? He glanced once more at Bokuto, then at Akaashi, who was muttering praises in order to change the vet’s mood, then back towards Kuroo, the man who’d gotten him in this mess in the first place. He had his answer, yet he didn’t really want to say it outright. He took a deep breath.

“Look, I’m not jumping in a relationship with any of you”, he said coolly, pushing his glasses up. “But I’m willing to get to know you better and see how everything develops.”

Bokuto instantly perked back up, leaning over Kuroo’s shoulder to grin at Tsukishima. “Then it’s settled! Tomorrow I’m taking you out on a date.” Tsukishima’s tries to reject him were faced by the vet’s insistence, so he found himself agreeing whether he liked it or not.

Kuroo was sort of bothered by the idea of the two people he was kind of in love with going out on a date, but ultimately decided to ignore it, since there really wasn’t much he could do about it. He smiled resignedly, then shifted his stare towards Akaashi and smirked.

“I guess you’re stuck with me, then.”

Akaashi nodded, and with all men finally in agreement, Kuroo and Tsukishima decided to take their leave after exchanging phone numbers with their soulmates.

However, outside of the apartment, as he was leading Tsukishima towards his car, Kuroo thought about being alone with his thoughts and the case after all the discussions that had gone on for the past few hours, thought about the self-loathing he’d go through remembering badly dyed hair that he’d never get to run his hands through, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Questioning golden eyes stared at Tsukishima’s form.

“Wait.” The man turned towards him curiously as Kuroo bit his lip, staring down awkwardly. “Would you… Maybe want to spend the night here? Since it’s three in the morning already…?”

Tsukishima stared back with a vulnerability that took Kuroo aback.

“Do you really think that would be a smart idea?”

And he was right, wasn’t he? It was quite possibly the worst idea, but Kuroo really didn’t want to be alone and he had already started overthinking. He wasn’t sure what Tsukishima thought of the situation and if he maybe hated him or not? Bokuto seemed happy with the developments, but what about Akaashi? His brain felt all foggy, but he knew for sure he harbored a bad feeling regarding the situation.

Tsukishima glanced at him questioningly, as he was met with silence. He saw the lost look in Kuroo’s eyes and softened up, although he had no idea why. And he would blame the late hour later on, for he found himself sighing softly and nodding.

“Alright, but no funny business.”

He wanted to add “no cuddling”, but he stopped himself for some reason. And, ten minutes later, as Kuroo’s lips pressed to his forehead before they went to sleep, he couldn’t help but huff as if the arms wrapped around his torso from behind and the head resting in the crook of his neck bothered him greatly. But as the lawyer’s breaths seemed to even out, Tsukishima allowed himself to turn to look at him, brushing some stray hair away from his forehead. He looked so peaceful, almost ethereal, and in the safety of the silence and darkness that Kuroo’s room offered, Tsukishima let himself whisper a small vow to himself that he’d never admit to during daylight, the edges of his lips curling into a fond smile.

_“You're such an idiot, falling for a guy that's not your soulmate. I’m sorry Bokuto doesn’t share your feelings. But I’ll make sure you feel loved, like you did for me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count says 2900 but this felt way shorter for some reason? Hm...
> 
> Either way, new developments? Glad we're finally done with the meeting tbh, took me a few too many chapters lmao. Hopefully everything makes sense? I've been kind of having my own dejected mood for the past few days, so if anything's wrong with the chapter please let me know!! <3
> 
> Nonetheless, thank you very much for reading and commenting (I literally teared up last chapter when I saw how many comments it got???) and I hope you have a great day!!<3
> 
> Oh, also the next chapter might only be coming later on this week, sorry :(


	12. CHAPTER TWELVE

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

_“He could only be compared to the first snow – A sight that managed to bring even a little joy to everyone’s hearts, no matter how cold.”_

No, this wasn’t it. Bokuto wasn’t snow – He was _warm_ , like the feeling one would get sitting in front of the fireplace. But that…didn’t sound right either. Ugh. The writer took a sip of his hot chocolate, closing the document he had open on his computer and preparing for the date he had in about fifteen minutes.

***

Waking up next to Kuroo was… An experience.

The first thing Tsukishima noticed as he slowly opened his eyes to the ceiling of his soulmate’s room was how fucking _heavy_ his body felt, as if a huge weight had been dropped on his chest while he slept, rendering him immobile. A quick glance confirmed the suspicion that said weight was, in fact, Kuroo, who had draped himself across the entire bed during the night, heavy arm over Tsukishima’s chest, one leg stretched on top of his own. The best part, however, was the fact that Tsukishima had finally discovered the cause of his soulmate’s constant bedhead: He had his head buried between two pillows in what looked like a terribly suffocating position, soft breaths being the only sign that he was still alive.

Tsukishima smirked at the display and at how oddly characteristic of his soulmate it was, extending his arm towards the nightstand in order to grab his glasses and phone (and if he snapped a quick picture, well, who was there to judge him?).

Well, the clock definitely told him it was seven in the morning. Tsukishima's eyes widened, remembering that he had work in an hour and he wasn’t even in his own apartment. He tried to disentangle himself from his soulmate, but realizing that it was a battle he wasn’t winning anytime soon, he gently grabbed Kuroo’s shoulder and shook it.

To no avail, really. The man remained immobile.

“Hey, wake up.”

He tried to appear irritated, but there was a softness in his voice brought on by the early morning that he couldn’t really get rid of, to his dismay. His lips curled downwards as he shook the man once more until finally resorting to taking the blanket for himself, at which moment Kuroo’s eyes lazily slid open, as if it was _that_ easy to wake him up.

“…Where’s the blanket?”, he murmured, turning his head to look at Tsukishima through heavy-lidded eyes.

The blond sighed and pretended that the husky voice of his soulmate didn’t do anything to him, proceeding to free himself from the confines of Kuroo’s arms and getting up.

“Wake up, loser, we’ve got work in half an hour.”

The man didn’t really seem to care, lazily looking Tsukishima up and down, small smirk on his face as he stretched languidly, reminiscent of a cat.

“Since when do we have work on Saturday?”

Tsukishima froze. He looked at Kuroo, then at his phone, then back to Kuroo, then finally at the display on his phone that clearly read “Saturday”. He huffed, all stress leaving his body, yet still acting as indifferent as possible.

Kuroo burst out laughing, getting up from the bed as well, yet choosing not to prolong Tsukishima’s torture, heading towards the kitchen with a wink and a “Want breakfast?”

They didn’t discuss the dates they were supposed to be going on in a few hours, instead opting for work chit-chats and the respective cases they were on. And, as Kuroo’s eyes spelled such exhaustion when he remembered the case he had to finish, Tsukishima couldn’t stop himself from offering his help and spending the rest of their time before their dates making actual progress on it (Kuroo couldn’t believe his eyes and may have kissed him more than once in gratitude).

***

As noon rolled around, Tsukishima received a message on his cellphone with a simple “Meet me in thirty minutes? Wherever you want, just text me the address!!”, followed by about thirty owl emojis that let him know it was definitely Bokuto he was texting. He texted back that he’d pick him up from his place, not really mentioning where he’d spent the night, proceeding to inform Kuroo that he’d be leaving soon and shyly asking for a change of clothes, since he really didn’t want to make a bad impression, although he’d never tell anyone that. (He would also never tell anyone how much he liked having Kuroo’s perfume on him.)

Yet, as he knocked on the door in exactly half an hour, it was Akaashi who opened it. An embarrassed smile made its way to the writer's face as he looked Tsukishima up and down.

“Oh, hi." He looked towards the door that the blond guessed lead to his and Bokuto's bedroom, seeing that it was closed. "Kou is annoyingly never on time, so you’ll have to wait a bit more." His words had a fond undertone to them, supported by the slight smile on the writer's face. As an afterthought, he added: “Come in, though.”

Tsukishima felt far more awkward than he’d have liked to admit as he sat down on the same couch from the previous night, not really knowing how to act around the other person who was supposed to be his soulmate – The previous night had been far more comfortable, the late hour loosening everyone’s nerves, but now the daylight seeping through the window left him exposed and not sure about how to make conversation.

Akaashi seemed to have that same issue – he kept glancing around the apartment, as if it didn’t belong to him and he was just discovering it now, eyes carefully examining the kitchen peeking from behind a light blue counter, then shifting his gaze towards the framed picture of him and Bokuto on the wall, wide grin on the vet’s face, Akaashi’s sporting an almost imperceptible smile, joy evident only in his eyes. They’d gone to a flea market and bought a ton of useless things that day, Bokuto dragging him by his hand to every single vendor, looking with childlike wonder whenever he saw the smallest thing that would grab his attention. Akaashi loves that picture far too much for words, even though he'd never admit to it out loud.

Finally, the writer switched his stare to Tsukishima, calm oozing off of him as he broke the silence.

“How are you feeling, Tsukishima-san? I saw you were quite reluctant yesterday.”

Oh, fuck. Tsukishima was flattered by the man’s attention towards him, but he _really_ didn’t want to have this conversation. He kept his face emotionless, not even sparing Akaashi a glance.

“I’m... alright. Waiting to see how things turn out.”

His soulmate hummed absentmindedly, noticing a few scratches made by Hootini on the side of the couch.

“You’re a writer, right?”, Tsukishima started talking before thinking it through, wanting to keep the conversation going for some unknown reason.

Akaashi looked at him surprised, but nodded nonetheless, fiddling with his fingers. He dragged a hand through his shaggy locks with a small sigh. “I haven’t been much of one lately. I’ve been stuck on the same paragraph for a few weeks now.”

Frankly, the blond was impressed with how open Akaashi was being. He also sympathized with him, since he knew how difficult being stuck on a case was, so he could only imagine that writer’s block wasn’t too kind in itself. The need to say something encouraging snuck up on him, but he’d never really been good at comforting people.

“That’s a shame. I’ve read your first book a while ago, actually, and it was well-written”, he said, pushing his glasses up, surprising both himself and Akaashi at the sincerity in his voice and the compliment he’d just given. He wasn’t the type to compliment people, but he wanted to get along with Akaashi and his book had actually been a pleasant read back when it was summer and he was bored out of his mind. “Are those from the owl?”, he changed the subject before the writer would have to reply, pointing towards the scratches on the couch. Akaashi smiled at the blond's awkwardness, then nodded at the question.

Tsukishima finally got an idea. His lips curled into a crooked grin as he got back into familiar territory. “Could I see him? I’d love to meet the beast who tried to tame Kuroo’s mess of a hair.”

As they got to Akaashi's room, Tsukishima found that "beast" wasn't really fitting. To his surprise, the small bird had instantly taken a liking to him, carefully stepping from the writer's hand into his and nuzzling its face into his fingers. It looked up at him with wide eyes, letting out a small "hoot". Tsukishima fell in love instantly.

"He's lovely."

Akaashi seemed to be staring intensely at the pair, nodding like a proud mother at the blond's approval. "He is, isn't he? He's normally really aggressive, but he seems to like you." 

The writer got closer to Tsukishima, leaning forward to pet the owl. He didn't seem to notice how his face was now mere inches from the blond's, eyes glued to the small animal in his hand - But Tsukishima did notice. He noticed the perfect arch of the man's eyebrows, the pure adoration in his azure eyes, noticed his perfectly carved cheekbones and the perfect curve of his lips. 

The man raised his eyes to meet Tsukishima's, suddenly realizing their proximity. He didn't take a step back, however, only smirked slightly as he glanced quickly at Tsukishima's lips, proceeded to lick his own, then met his gaze, raising an eyebrow, silently daring him to make a move.

He'd been shy the previous night? Since when was he this coy? He was going to kill Tsukishima.

The blond took a step back far too quickly to appear composed anymore, making Akaashi's smirk widen for a fraction of a second before returning to his normal, neutral face. He then sat down on the chair at his writing desk, sparing his closed laptop a quick glance (Probably where he writes his books, Tsukishima noted).

"Tsukishima-san, what do you normally like to read?"

The question came out of nowhere, but it was the right one to ask, since it helped the blond's blush leave his cheeks and also brought up a subject he actually really loved discussing. The lawyer cleared his throat, then sat down on the chair opposite Akaashi's, avoiding the writer's gaze.

"I have a penchant for classics, actually. I love Russian authors."

Akaashi nodded approvingly. "Me too, actually. I love reading Dostoevsky, although I have to admit he can get quite depressing at times."

At that, the blond raised his gaze, finally meeting the writer's eyes. "Yes, you're right. I read 'Crime and Punishment' a while ago and I almost wanted to shoot myself or something at some point."

Akaashi giggled. He _giggled._ It was the best sound Tsukishima had ever heard. "Okay, but what do you think about the way morality is presented?"

Tsukishima was quick to start on his analysis.

***

"Akaashi! Is Tsukishima here already?”

Bokuto’s far too loud voice broke them out of their debate, the vet bursting into the room, sporting casual attire. Tsukishima couldn’t help but let his gaze roam over the span of the man’s exposed arms, to his baby blue T-shirt and jeans that were too tight on him – He had to admit, he had good looking soulmates, from Akaashi’s feminine beauty, to Kuroo’s rough but sort of handsome looks and to Bokuto’s buffness mixed with dorky charm, he’d been kind of lucky.

“Oh, you’re here!”, the vet beamed, looking at Tsukishima, appearing almost surprised he’d shown up. He moved his gaze to Akaashi. “We’re gonna be leaving now, you’ll be okay all on your own, babe?”

The pretty man nodded with a fond smile. “Yeah, Kuroo-san’s picking me up in half an hour, I’ll be alright. Go, have fun.” He then turned towards Tsukishima. “Make sure he doesn’t get hurt, will you? Like he did _last time_ ”, he emphasized the last two words, giving the vet a pointed look.

Bokuto flushed slightly and pouted, whining a soft “It wasn’t _that_ bad!”, then walking up to the writer and hugging him tightly, giving his lips a quick peck before he could retaliate. “I’ll see you tonight then, ‘kaashi! Love you!”

Without any more words, he took Tsukishima’s hand and dragged him out of the apartment, excitement palpable on him. He turned towards him, eyes shining with enthusiasm.

“I’ll take you on a really cool date, Tsukishima! I promise!”

And for some reason, the blond believed him; Before he continued his sentence, that is. The vet snuck a hand behind his neck, smiling widely.

“I know it’s like, winter and all, but it’s sunny and the snow isn’t too bad, so there’s this really cool forest we could walk through maybe? I got snacks too, so we should be all set!”

…A walk through the forest? That was… not what Tsukishima had expected. He hadn’t expected a fancy dinner or anything, since from what he’d seen of Bokuto he didn’t seem like the type, but he’d expected something really exciting that he’d pretend to hate and have to be dragged along to, like laser tag. The forest sounded cold and provided no subjects in case conversation died down, so it really didn't sound like the blond's cup of tea. Yet, as he looked at Bokuto's waiting smile, he couldn't really turn him down.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Fine. Lead the way.”

***

They had to take about three buses to get to said forest, but Bokuto’s constant rambling about everything under the sun kept Tsukishima weirdly entertained. He’d never met someone who could talk for over twenty minutes about how snakes can predict earthquakes and it was somehow…endearing?

It didn’t help that Bokuto insisted on holding his hand “so he won’t get cold”, making the blush on Tsukishima’s cheeks a constant.

As they walked through the woods, despite himself, Tsukishima couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the frozen forest. The branches hung low, weighed down by the snow shining in the bright sun like small crystals, the only sound breaking the silence being the creaking of their shoes along the narrow path. Even Bokuto seemed to be silent for a change, eyes shining, bewitched by the scenery.

“Are you still mad at me for the supermarket?”, a soft voice uncharacteristic of the man behind it spoke.

Tsukishima wanted to let out a snarky remark, or even a “What the hell do you think?”, but looking at the man beside him and their intertwined hands, he couldn’t help but soften his voice as well.

“I’m over it. I can’t stay mad just because you’re a dumbass.”

The words were harsher than intended, but the small blush on his cheeks spoke otherwise. Bokuto lifted his head and looked at him with such appreciation that Tsukishima almost felt guilty for ever being mad at him.

“Really? I’m so glad! I was really worried- Wait, did you call me a dumbass? You’re so mean!”

The man’s whines let the blond know he wasn’t in danger of having to deal with one of the moods he’d witnessed last night, but the reaction brought a small smirk to Tsukishima’s face. _Cute_. He could start to understand why Kuroo was so in love with him and it almost made him feel jealous. Of what, he didn’t know – _He_ was the one who had both Bokuto and Kuroo, right?

“You met Hootini today, right?”, Bokuto broke the blond out of his thoughts. Tsukishima raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, I did. Quite aggressive, from what I’ve heard”, he snickered.

Bokuto looked him deep in the eye, holding a straight face. “Yeah, he thinks he’s very smart. He’s a _know-it-owl_.”

Before Tsukishima could even process the awful pun, Bokuto was laughing so loudly that a few birds actually fled from the trees. Despite himself, the blond let out a small chuckle of his own.

“That was awful.”

“Awf- _owl_ you mean.”

Bokuto’s shit-eating grin was enough to make Tsukishima click his tongue and pull on the branch above his soulmate, effectively making the snow weighing it down fall on him. Based on the vet's surprised yell that quickly turned into a smirk, he'd made a _big_ mistake.

"Oh, so you wanna play it like that?", the man raised his eyebrows. "Ohoho, you should know who you're dealing with here!"

He quickly let go of Tsukishima's hand, bending down to make a snowball, proceeding to throw it at the lawyer's face with surprising accuracy. Tsukishima let out a sound he wasn't proud of at the sudden cold, then, with elegant movements, wiped the snow off of his face with a "Tch", removing his glasses as to wipe them. The vet approached him tentatively, ready to apologize, until...

"Now you've done it."

And thus began The Big War of Snow (“Name still in progress”, would add Bokuto later), the men running around like small children, hurling snowballs at each other until both were drenched and quite frozen. Looking at the snow fort he'd hidden behind a few minutes ago, Tsukishima was amazed at what he’d done – He wasn’t the type, really, he’d always stood to the side when other people threw snow at each other, and yet for some reason he was grinning just as widely as Bokuto as they lay on the cold ground, looking up at the quickly darkening sky.

“That was so fun! I didn’t think you had it in you, ‘shima!”

Tsukishima tried to grimace, but he really couldn't wipe the smile off his face. “Don’t call me that. And what’s that supposed to mean?”

The vet placed a finger to his chin, deep in thought, before finally turning towards the blond and _beaming_. “Well, you seem really serious and intimidating! I was actually nervous about what I’d say to you! But this was really nice!”

Bokuto’s grin could probably be used as a replacement if all lights went out, for how bright it was. A comfortable silence engulfed them, before Kei heard what was probably the worst thing that could have come out of the vet’s mouth at that moment, frantically assessing their surroundings.

“Hey, Tsukki?”

“Yeah?”

_“I think we’re lost.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to those who were expecting the KuroAka date, it's coming next chapter, I promise!!! <3
> 
> Okay so I REALLY wanted to write a chapter of Tsukki interacting with everyone? Sorry if it isn't what y'all expected lmaoo. Also I promise the plot will pick up back up really really soon, but please bear with me in the meantime, I want these boys to bond!! :)
> 
> Also it's 1AM, I've been writing all day, but I've reread it a bunch of times so at this point I can't tell if there's any mistakes I overlooked, so if anything is off please do let me know and I'll make sure to fix it in the morning!
> 
> Whew. Besides that, thank you guys for reading and commenting (!!) and I really really hope you liked this chapter!! Have a nice day!! :)


	13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

_“They could only be compared to hot chocolate on a cold winter evening, wrapping me up in comfort I didn’t know I needed.”_

Wait a second…They? Had he really written about all three of his soulmates? The writer wanted to scowl at the screen, but he found his lips curling into the smallest of smiles instead. The comparison wasn’t good enough, it was far too _simple_ , but perhaps introducing his other two soulmates in the book wasn’t that bad of an idea.

…Perhaps.

***

“But Kenmaaa, what if he doesn’t like me?”, Kuroo whined in his cellphone, flinging himself on his bed in his “casual-but-fun” date outfit. He had about fifteen minutes left until he was supposed to take Akaashi out and oh boy was he absolutely _terrified._

“Well, I’m sure he won’t like you if you stand him up”, was Kenma’s short, disinterested reply, already over Kuroo’s dramatics.

The lawyer just sighed, dragging a hand through his messy hair, messing it up even more in the process. Why was Kuroo so nervous, one might ask? Well, first things first, Akaashi was the soulmate of the man he was in love with. Secondly, after the latest development, he was Kuroo’s soulmate too. Not to mention that he was breathtakingly gorgeous and smart? And last but not least, Kuroo wasn’t sure that he had Akaashi’s approval – The man didn’t seem like much of a talker and he hadn’t really expressed his opinion regarding their situation, so what if he secretly hated Kuroo and-

“If you’re all in your head about whether or not he hates you, I’m sure he doesn’t. Just go out with him and find out for yourself”, came Kenma’s bored voice, almost as if he could read his best friend’s thoughts. And maybe, after all these years, he just could – Who was there to know?

With that, Kuroo said his thanks and hung up, promptly heading towards the door, back straight, acting like the most confident person in the world. He felt like it, too. After all, it was just one guy, right? And he was good at dates, right? He liked to consider himself a Master of Dates, since he’d always taken people out on the most thought-out, memorable ones, so who was he to beat himself up over one single hang-out?

…Oh yeah, he also didn’t have a plan for said date. But he’d wing it. Yeah. He was cool.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door he’d avoided so many times in fear of the man he was now taking on a date (Ha, fate _really_ hated him), lips curling into a cocky smirk.

“Hello, Kuroo-san”, came the most melodious voice Kuroo had ever heard, along with a man that looked absolutely ethereal – Kuroo’s eyes went to the way his jeans hugged his long legs, to the elegant gray overcoat he was sporting along with a black turtleneck, up to his incredibly long lashes and high cheekbones, the smirk on the lawyer’s face instantly dropping as he tried to find his words.

He placed a hand behind his neck, clearing his throat, smiling almost shyly.

“Yes, hi. Shall we?”

Judging by the way Akaashi smiled knowingly, he’d caught on to Kuroo’s embarrassment and he was _enjoying_ it. Excitement with just the tiniest hint of dread settled in Kuroo’s stomach – If the writer had a coy side to him, things were bound to get interesting, but he was also absolutely _fucked_.

The man’s eyes glistened with hidden interest, the writer speaking a polite “We shall.”

As the two made their way towards the car, neither of them dared to utter a word. There was some underlying tension brought on by the fact that they hadn’t even formally introduced themselves, just being thrown into this mess of a situation. They were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together, but they had no idea who the other even was, besides a ton of praised descriptions from Bokuto – And even there, Kuroo was sure Akaashi had heard about the way he’d abandoned the man in college, so there may be a chance he secretly harbored some resentment towards him.

Akaashi’s soft voice took him out of his reverie, teasing glint in his eyes.

“You’re quite silent. So, where are you taking me, Kuroo-san? Should I be scared?”

Kuroo chuckled, refusing to meet his partner’s calculating gaze as he opened the car door for him, entering from the driver’s side. “Akaashi, you can drop the -san, we’re literally on a date.”

The writer’s lips curled into an embarrassed smile, gaze shifting to the side, before his face returned to its neutral position. “Alright then, _Kuroo_ , but you still didn’t answer my question.”

The sultry tone his name was uttered in was definitely intentional on Akaashi’s side and that’s when Kuroo realized that he couldn’t act like he did with Tsukishima – The blond was silent and had a sharp tongue, but he was also easily embarrassed and inexperienced. This guy was _confident_ and he was silent because that way any word he said was like gold, compared to Bokuto, whose rambling could go on forever and thus only few of his words were paid attention to.

Thinking that he’d figured his approach out, Kuroo suddenly became more confident. This guy was supposed to be his soulmate, what was he being so awkward about? He’d have been throwing one-liners all around had it been anyone else, why would Akaashi be different? He leaned on his seat, propping his body up on one elbow, turning towards his date.

“Well, actually I thought it’d be more fun if I let you choose. So, where do _you_ wanna go?”

To his surprise, the man didn’t buy it. He looked at him with a deadpan expression, the playfulness dancing in his eyes the only sign he wasn’t actually offended. “That’s just you being lazy, isn’t it?”

Kuroo laughed, taken off guard by the man’s bluntness, placing his hands in front of him in defense. “Okay, okay, you caught me. I was thinking maybe a museum then?”

Akaashi seemed to ponder upon it for a second, before turning to his date, bored eyes betraying confidence. “If that’s only because you want to use the ‘In a room full of art, I’d still stare at you’ line, I’ll pass.”

Kuroo grimaced. That _had_ , in fact, been part of his plan. He refused to show it any more than he already had, however, placing a hand on his chest in mock-offense, plastering a smirk to his face.

“It hurts my feelings that you would think that, you know – I’m not _that_ shallow.”

Akaashi merely raised an eyebrow. “Then mind telling me about any of the exhibits we would be seeing there?”

Fuck. Kuroo huffed, then smiled embarrassedly, caught in his lie. “Alright then, change of plans.” With that, he turned the key in the ignition and started driving, not sparing Akaashi another glance, sly smile on his face.

Akaashi was sporting a small smile of his own, one that the driver couldn’t see – He was being terribly blunt, it’s true, but Kuroo seemed to be keeping up with him and he was somehow already enjoying himself. Not to mention that he’d found the reaction of the man absolutely _hilarious_ , as he had been just messing around when he’d accused him of taking him to a museum for the sake of a cheesy line, but apparently he’d been right.

Seeing that they weren’t taking a route he was accustomed to, the writer raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you’re not going to tell me where we’re going?”

Kuroo shook his head, excited smile on his face. To anyone else he would have looked like a madman, with his tousled hair and grin, but Akaashi had been dating Bokuto for two years already, so he was, sadly enough, used to it.

“Kuroo-san, sorry if I offended you, but I’m hoping that’s not reason enough for you to take me to the woods and kill me.”

Kuroo, surprisingly, let out a wheeze before quickly regaining his composure. An amused grin took over his features.

“I mean, you did wound me dearly, so you’ll just have to wait and see.”

With that, he briefly took his eyes off the road to wink at Akaashi, proceeding to drive in comfortable silence, not seeing the amused look on his soulmate’s face.

The writer decided to take this moment to take a good look at his date: He was handsome, no doubt, golden eyes glued to the road, messy hair giving him a casual appearance. His sharp jawline was accentuated by the sunlight gleaming through his window, a relaxed smile on his face that Akaashi, weirdly enough, couldn’t take his eyes off of.

Suddenly that smile was directed as him, slight insecurity hiding behind the apparent confidence in the lawyer’s eyes. He made a motion with his hands that was meant to be the presentation of the place (accompanied by a “Ta-da!”), but it probably just looked really weird to Akaashi.

“We’re here?”

Truth to be told, Kuroo _was_ , in fact, incredibly nervous about the writer’s reaction – He’d taken him to a fucking ice-skating rink after getting called out about his previous cheesy date idea. When he’d first set out on the drive, he wasn’t really sure where he was going, museum idea having flopped, but as the emptiness of the rink came into view he instinctively steered the car towards it.

People normally went ice skating during the evening, since the various lights placed around the rink gave it a very pleasant, intimate feel, compared to the bright sunlight that was now shining down on the two men. However, Kuroo absolutely loved the idea of having the place to themselves. Sneaking a glance towards Akaashi to see his reaction, he was ready to wheeze and pretend it had been a joke if the man didn’t like it, but the writer’s face remained unreadable.

Akaashi swiftly got out of the car as Kuroo did the same, finally giving the lawyer a bored look as he motioned towards the rink.

“Well? Are we going or not?”

Kuroo found himself nodding almost hypnotized, quickly following his soulmate to the ticket booth, renting them both a pair of skates in the process.

It was when he was paying for the skates that it dawned on him – _He didn’t know how to skate_. Like, at all.

Peering at Akaashi from the corner of his eyes, the lawyer tried to imitate the way he was putting the skates on. Kuroo tried to calm his nerves down – He’d seen plenty of people ice skating before, it couldn’t be _that_ difficult, right? Akaashi wouldn’t even figure it out.

***

As the men entered the rink, Akaashi stepped on the ice with such grace that it almost amazed Kuroo, who proceeded to take one singular step on the ice and instantly cling desperately to the wall next to him like a cat grasping at the edges of a bathtub, trying to find his balance. A quick glance towards Akaashi proved that the man hadn’t seen him, as he was already heading towards the opposite side of the rink, probably expecting Kuroo to follow suit.

That was his chance – Now if only he could let go of the wall…Yeah, no, he really couldn’t. Taking a deep breath, Kuroo sat upright, took one step, skate gliding across the rough ice, then brought his foot forward to take another one (Yes, he’d done it!), before hearing Akaashi’s voice and promptly falling all over himself with a hard “thump”.

“Are you not coming, Kuroo? Oh my God.“

Despite his embarrassment, Kuroo tried to get up, already thinking up excuses, like “my skate slipped” or something of the sorts, but as he repeatedly failed to sit upright, he just looked towards Akaashi, staring him dead in the eye, somehow still mustering up a cocky smirk.

“Can’t believe you’ve already got me falling for you.”

If Akaashi’s face could show any more disappointment, it would, except that behind that apparent dismay there was an amused glint, and the small chuckle erupting from the writer’s chest didn’t help either. Within a few gracious steps, he was next to the lawyer, already bending down and offering his hand to him.

“I thought I said no cheesy lines.”

Kuroo shrugged with a grin, letting himself be lifted. “Nope, you just veto-ed the museum line.”

Akaashi pressed his palm to his face, trying to hide the beginnings of a fond grin. “You’re such a big baby. Why would you bring me here if you didn’t know how to skate?”

Clinging to Akaashi desperately and already kind of missing the warmth of his hand, Kuroo found himself shrugging once again, innocent smile plastered to his face. “I thought it sounded cool?”

As the writer stopped himself from leaving Kuroo right there and heading home, he quickly made sure the man was alright before maneuvering them to the safety of the wall once again. Now confident on his feet, the lawyer finally let go of Akaashi, deciding to lean on said wall with an arrogant smirk he definitely wasn’t supposed to be sporting.

“Alright, so you caught me, I have no idea how to skate. Teach me?”

Akaashi seemed to ponder upon the request for a while, making Kuroo look down, wiping that annoying expression off his face, ready to backtrack with some lame joke. Then the writer turned towards him, a confident gleam playing in his eyes.

“Only if you can keep up.”

His approach to teaching was quite gentle, compared to the abrasiveness Kuroo had expected of him – The man taught him the basic footwork, then proceeded to take his hands in his (cue the lawyer trying to hide his blush by looking anywhere but Akaashi’s face), slowly skating in wide circles with him. Things were looking up – Kuroo was finally steady on his feet, he was holding Akaashi’s hands, the writer seemed to be enjoying himself; The messy-haired man was actually proud of himself for his choice of date, for once.

Golden eyes met azure, fond smiles on both men’s blushing faces, although they would both attribute it to the cold in an instant if prompted. Akaashi couldn’t help but be enamored by his soulmate’s antics, enjoying his dynamic company far too much – And his sincere smile was so different from all the smirks he’d been throwing at him all day, that Akaashi found himself wanting to be the cause of it far more often.

Distracted by the man in front of him, the writer’s back suddenly hit the wall of the rink, Kuroo crashing into him before erupting in laughter.

As he quieted down, the lawyer’s face seemed to contort into a teasing grin, tongue gliding across his teeth. “I know I’m gorgeous, but warn me next time, will ya?”

Akaashi’s gaze was pointed downwards in embarrassment, softly biting his lip and, well, Kuroo absolutely couldn’t have that, so his smirk quickly faded as he pressed his fingers to the writer’s chin, tilting it up to make eye contact.

Both men seemed to suddenly realize their proximity, heaving chests touching, Kuroo towering over his soulmate, arms inadvertently trapping him to the fragile wall of the skating rink. His eyes darted to Akaashi’s lips, wondering whether that would be too much of a risky move – They _were_ on a first date, after all. But they had had so much fun and Akaashi had seemed to warm up to him, even chuckling on a few occasions, so maybe?

The writer raised an eyebrow, silently daring him to make a move and that was enough for Kuroo; Maintaining eye contact, he oh-so-slowly leaned down, hand gently grasping his soulmate’s jaw as he licked his lips before connecting them to his.

***

“Tsukki, we really should call ‘kaashi and Kuroo, I’m sure they’d come pick us up!”

Bokuto’s yell as he tried to keep up with his soulmate seemed to scare a few birds from their places on the branches above them, the man taking large steps, trying to catch up to the blond who was walking quickly, yet aimlessly, through the now completely dark forest.

“We don’t need their help. We can do on our own”, had been Tsukishima’s stubborn reply the first time the vet had come up with the idea, but over the few hundred times the question had been posed he had slowly but surely been losing his ambition.

On the thousandth time the question was asked, however, the blond could only sigh, turning towards his soulmate and wordlessly handing him his phone, the only one which had signal.

Bokuto would have pumped his fist into the air victoriously, had he not been absolutely _freezing_ at this point, barely able to move his hands. The vet slowly reached for the phone, receiving a vicious glare from Tsukishima as he took too long.

“You know, maybe we won’t die of hypothermia if you hurry up.”

The man looked down in embarrassment, small pout ever-present on his face. “Shut up, it’s freezing outside.”

As Tsukishima finally noticed the slight shiver in his soulmate’s movements, he sighed aggravatedly and pressed two fingers to his forehead, realization hitting him like a freight train. He then took Bokuto’s hands in his, slowly rubbing them to warm them up, all the while looking severely annoyed, the slight blush on his cheekbones betraying him. “You know, you could have told me you were cold instead of pestering me about Kuroo and Akaashi for the past hour or so.”

The vet looked up at him with wide eyes, such softness and vulnerability hidden beneath them that it took Tsukishima by surprise.

“Oh, but dude, you’re cold too! Here, take my scarf!”

It took everything in Tsukishima not to blush furiously, wondering how the fuck this guy could be so cold and yet still offer his scarf to _him_. Did he have no self-preservation instincts? He scoffed, turning his head away.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You’re the one who’s freezing!”

Despite his repeated refusal, Bokuto still got his way in the end, reaching up to wrap the dark blue scarf around his soulmate’s neck before grinning widely. The blond looked to the side in embarrassment – What _was_ wrong with this guy? Finally he sighed, handing his phone to Bokuto with a mumbled “Just call them already”.

“Hey, ‘kaashi? How’re you doing? Oh, you’re ice skating? That’s so cool! I miss you! Tell Kuroo I said hi!”

Tsukishima’s eye twitched in annoyance as he witnessed his soulmate _completely forgetting_ what the role of the call was, a dreamy look taking over his features as he spoke to his long-term boyfriend. He gave him a slight shove with his elbow.

“Oh, right! Uhm, you see, Tsukki and I…may have gotten lost in the forest and we were wondering if you guys could pick us up? Pretty please?”

Tsukishima could practically hear Akaashi rolling his eyes through the phone. What he did hear, though, was Kuroo’s wheeze as he was probably told of their situation. _Yeah, that’s enough proof we shouldn’t have called them._ Kuroo was never going to let him live it down.

***

As Kuroo received his two soulmates’ location…Wait, no, his best friend’s and his soulmate’s location (Ugh, he’d almost forgotten), he started laughing such an ugly laugh that he was almost embarrassed to be heard by Akaashi, but as his soulmate closed the call he actually joined in. Yeah. _Akaashi Keiji_ started _laughing._

It was incredible, Akaashi’s laughter – Kuroo could feel his skin clearing up and the entire world’s weight being lifted off of his shoulders by hearing it. He didn’t look pretty at that moment, it was surreal – But it somehow made him even more endearing, face scrunched up as he leaned on Kuroo, trying to stifle his wheezing.

“They’re such idiots”, the writer managed to get out before erupting into another fit.

Kuroo really wanted to kiss him then, so he did – He then started up the car and headed towards the forest, silently really worried about both Tsukishima and Bokuto. He’d started to realize that he was, well, pretty much head over heels for both of them and if anything happened to them he’d hate himself, so he was driving just a little faster than usual, breaths coming in quicker and quicker. Akaashi seemed just as worried, biting his bottom lip, eyes glued to the road.

As they finally seemed to reach their destination, however, the men were met with a sight to behold – Tsukishima was wearing a scarf that was definitely not his as he sat on the ground, huddled together with a certain vet, both of their clothes wet and slightly frozen, the blond sporting a scowl on his furiously blushing face as Bokuto kept rambling on and on about something Akaashi and Kuroo couldn’t hear.

It was adorably hilarious and Kuroo snapped a pic, the flash alerting the two of their presence (How had they not noticed the huge car, that was beyond anyone at that point). Akaashi quickly rushed to Bokuto’s side, scowl present on his face as he scolded him, the vet’s whined “But ‘kaashi!” audible to anyone within a twenty-mile range.

Kuroo, however, just hovered ominously near Tsukishima, looking at him intensely. The blond glared at him.

“Don’t say anything.”

Kuroo’s face broke into a smug grin as he finally sauntered over to the blond. “Aww, does Serious Tsukishima have a soft side?”

Tsukishima scowled. “I was just cold.”

If Kuroo’s grin could get any wider, it would. “You were cuddling.”

And Tsukishima would have probably replied, had Akaashi not reminded everyone to get into the car, since it was freezing. Happily settled in the warm vehicle, Kuroo started the car, heading towards their building.

“Bo, why the fuck were you even in a forest in the first place?”, the raven-haired man wheezed, fond smile noticed only by Akaashi, who was still in the front seat.

The man proceeded to huff childishly, looking out the window – “It was a cool date idea! Right, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima found himself nodding inadvertently, Bokuto’s puppy eyes turning him to absolute mush, although he’d never admit it out loud. “It was okay, I guess.”

As Kuroo took a turn towards his block of flats, Tsukishima seemed to suddenly wake up from his Bokuto-induced haze. “Hey, asshole, you missed my building.”

It was Akaashi who replied to him, despite Kuroo having opened his mouth to retort. “Everyone is coming to our place to warm up first. I’m sure Kuroo won’t mind driving you back.”

And, as they all got back, had some hot chocolate and wrapped themselves up in an oversized blanket, starting up a movie, nobody seemed to complain about how cramped up the small couch felt, nor how genuinely _bad_ the movie was.

_And if they all fell asleep and woke up in a tangle of limbs in the morning, nobody found it in themselves to complain, either._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: A balanced word count each chapter is the way to go, around 2000 would be ideal  
> Also me: Whoops here's almost 4000 words of fluff for your souls
> 
> I thought since it took me longer than usual to get this chapter out I might just make up for it by making the chapter longer too :)  
> ...Although, to be honest, it took this long since I was terrified of writing Akaashi on a date oops :/// 
> 
> Either way, I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter? I love all four of these dorks and it was so fun having them interact in less stressful circumstances! I hope you guys will enjoy reading it too!! <3 As for the plot, well, enjoy the fluff while you still can is all I'm saying ;)
> 
> I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but thank you so much for reading and oh my God thank you for commenting, like that never fails to make me smile, and I hope you all have a really nice day!! <3


	14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

_“They could only be compared to three pieces of a puzzle, all matching perfectly and yet two stubbornly refusing to fit together.”_

…Hadn’t he used a puzzle metaphor already? The writer felt more driven than ever to finish his book, having added his two new soulmates to it as well, and yet the comparison still didn’t seem to work.

…Why was he even trying with the comparison anyway? He could easily end the book differently.

***  
  


Tsukishima had adapted…Surprisingly well to the new dynamic. It had only been a few weeks, and yet he already spent more time over at Bokuto and Akaashi’s apartment than at his own, having slipped into the routine of Kuroo driving him to their place after work and all four of them just enjoying the others’ company every evening. He was surprised to find that, after a few too many nights where he fell asleep cuddled up to one or more of his soulmates, the two men’s closet started containing a few of his clothes and by their sink sat a third toothbrush. 

At first, he’d been terrified that he’d be left out of the quartet, since his three soulmates lived literally two steps away from each other, whereas his apartment was a decent distance away, but they had been so _kind_ , including him in absolutely everything they did (Yes, _everything_ ; at some point, Bokuto texted him to wait for Kuroo to pick him up because all four of them were going grocery shopping). It was not his style – He was cold, analytical, and snarky, but he soon enough noticed that Akaashi was like that too, and yet he’d been charmed by Bokuto and things had gone really well. That’s when he finally let himself fall for the people he spent almost every moment of his free time with.

Date nights were mandatory during weekends, and they either included all four men, three of them if one was busy, or at least two of them. Tsukishima had never gone on so many dates before in his life, but as he saw the grin on Bokuto’s face when he finally managed to shoot Kuroo in laser tag, or the languid, cat-like movements of Kuroo waking up on a Sunday, or the sardonic smile on Akaashi’s face when they went to that one poetry reading night at a café and spent the entire time whispering about how absolute garbage the poetry was - He couldn’t help but turn to mush.

His soulmates were slowly but surely taking him out of his shell and he’d never admit it, but he was really thankful. All in all, it was pretty much the ideal relationship – It had its ups and downs, such as Bokuto feeling neglected when he couldn’t come along on a date, or Akaashi oftentimes only popping in to say “hi” before going back to writing, or perhaps the original awkwardness when Akaashi and Bokuto were obviously closer to each other than to anyone else and sitting next to them often felt like intruding – But they’d resolved all of them through their Feedback Friday (Term coined by Bokuto, but it was actually Akaashi who had come up with the idea of them having an evening dedicated to discussing how everyone felt). All in all, it wasn’t perfect, but they made it work.

Except for one thing. There was something that annoyed Tsukishima to no end about his relationship, and it was an absolutely _terrible_ thing, especially when he had to constantly witness it, and that was the completely _excessive_ amount of pining that went on between Kuroo and Bokuto.

***

“Is that what you find scary, bro?”, smirked Kuroo a week ago, turning his head towards a frightened Bokuto, two people away from him on the couch.

Bokuto sulked, cuddling closer to Akaashi. “Sh-Shut up, dude, you’ll see!! It’s terrifying!”

As the four men slipped into a routine, movie nights became incredibly common. Although the living room couch was barely big enough to fit all of them, they made it work – Bokuto would be propped against the edge of the couch, arm languidly wrapped around either Tsukishima or Akaashi, whereas Kuroo would be on the other edge, holding the neglected soulmate. It wasn’t an intentional arrangement, but somehow both men would always go for the corner of the couch whenever possible.

It was understandable, mused Tsukishima, since they annoyingly kept up the bro charade with every opportunity.

Now he himself couldn’t find the movie any more predictable, with its jumpscares preceded by eerie music and the cliché plot and as he glanced towards Akaashi, the man looked back at him, raising an eyebrow and rolling his eyes with a hint of a smile. He didn’t like it either, but they tolerated it for the sake of their soulmates.

And yet, as a scary face popped up on the screen with a scream, Kuroo yelped loudly, hiding his face behind a pillow with one hand and grabbing Tsukishima’s in a vice-like grip with the other.

…Except that it hadn’t been Tsukishima’s hand, or even Akaashi’s – He’d grabbed _Bokuto_ ’s hand, which had been next to his the whole time apparently, lazily propped on the back of the couch.

The terror provided by the film was not even comparable to the one on Kuroo’s face. As he felt the unfamiliar callouses of his friend’s hand, he slowly peeked from behind the pillow, frozen in mortification as he understood what he’d done. Bokuto, however, only squeezed back, terrified out of his mind after the last jumpscare.

As they finally made eye-contact, things seemed to move in slow motion, Kuroo’s blush able to illuminate the whole room, Bokuto sporting a stunned look on his face. Suddenly they realized they were still holding hands and they let go of the other as if they’d been burned.

“Haha…Yeah, I’ll admit the film _is_ a bit scary, bro”, said Kuroo staring at the floor, smiling awkwardly, hand placed on the nape of his neck.

Bokuto was stuck staring at the wall in front of him, the changing light radiated by the TV mirrored on his face. As Akaashi looked up at him, he seemed to wake up, voice louder than normal:

“Yeah! I told you, bro! It’s like, the scariest movie in the world!”

Taking pity on them, Tsukishima interrupted the conversation. “This film is mediocre at best, you’re the ones getting scared by nothing.”

Akaashi helped out. “Next time, Tsukishima is choosing the movie. I’m tired of watching horror flicks.”

At Bokuto’s offended “Hey!”, everything seemed to come back to normal, and yet Akaashi and Tsukishima’s knowing glances told them everything they needed to know.

***

Akaashi’s doubt had started the moment Kuroo had oh-so-platonically told Bokuto he loved him when all four of them met. During those weeks, he was proven right over and over and over again, whether by a brushing of the men’s hands ending in awkward sputtering on Kuroo’s side, or the way they seemed to be more “friendly” than ever now, “bro-hugs” and new, intricate handshakes becoming common etiquette for the two. Not to mention how they started a food war in the kitchen that one time, to Akaashi’s dismay, and as Bokuto went to hug Kuroo in order to get more flour on him, their eyes met and they sat there frozen for at least two seconds before awkwardly deciding that they should probably start cleaning up.

Originally he’d waited to see whether either of them would have the balls to confess already, but it had been so many weeks and nobody had done _anything_ besides excessive eye-fucking, so he decided at some point or another to attempt to talk to Bokuto about it.

Thus, as they were cuddled up in bed one evening, Koutarou treading his hands through his soulmate’s hair as the latter read a book, Akaashi started speaking.

“Kou?”

Bokuto hummed sleepily. “What’s up, ‘kaashi?”

He didn’t lift his head from the book, tone steady as he decided on the best approach. A million of Bokuto scenarios rolled through his mind before he finally chose nonchalant bluntness. “Do you like Kuroo? Romantically, I mean.”

Bokuto suddenly stiffened noticeably, hand stopping in his soulmate’s strands. “I-, uh, what?”

“Just what I asked.”

“I only like you, ‘kaashi, you know that!”, he whined, agitation present in his voice, eyes darting from a corner of the room to the other.

Akaashi still didn’t lift his eyes from the book. “But you also like Tsukishima, we’re all soulmates.”

Bokuto was stuck. He took his time thinking it through, before casually declaring:

“Yeah, but Kuroo’s my bro! We’re not soulmates or anything… But! I’m really happy he’s your soulmate, babe, since he’s a really nice guy!”

That’s when Akaashi sighed, finally placing a bookmark in his book and turning to look at his soulmate. The uncertainty in Bokuto’s eyes was palpable and Akaashi smiled fondly at how oblivious his boyfriend could be, speaking in a gentle tone reserved only for his soulmates.

“What does that have to do with anything? If you like him, that’s completely alright.”

With that, he turned back to his book, leaving a stunned Bokuto in his wake.

***

All in all, it was painful, but bearable.

Today’s events, however, _really_ took the cake. If before, the pining was only noticeable when Bokuto and Akaashi picked Kuroo up for a date and he would blush madly, looking Bokuto up and down as subtly as he could (“You look good, bro.” “Thanks, bro! You too, we’re the most stylish bros in this city!”) – Well, now everything was amplified.

Kuroo and Tsukishima had been working together on a case at the Tetsurou residence when Akaashi invited them over, since he’d made food for all of them, telling them Bokuto was working late that evening.

From Akaashi and Tsukishima teaming up against Kuroo with sassy remarks, to Kuroo shamelessly using pun after pun - Everything was in perfect harmony, until the sound of a door unlocking could be heard, Bokuto bursting inside of the apartment, yelling “’kaashi, I’m home!”. As the writer yelled back a calm “We’re in the kitchen, come eat with us”, the vet, fully energized, all but dashed towards them, quickly coming up to his soulmates.

He went up to Akaashi and kissed him sweetly in greeting, before moving to the other side of the table to give Tsukishima the same treatment. And, distracted as he was, Bokuto then proceeded to move to Kuroo’s chair, planting a big kiss on his lips, hands grasping his face.

Kuroo’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, Tsukishima and Akaashi staring at the display in front of them in absolute shock. As he pulled away, Bokuto saw Kuroo’s face and instantly jumped about ten steps back, the lawyer mirroring his movement.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry, bro, I thought you were ‘kaashi for a second! Fuck, I’m sorry! I was just really happy since we actually managed to release a fox into the wild today!” His hair, instead of perking down, seemed to be perked up to the ceiling, the reddest of blushes adorning his cheeks.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. One could cut the tension with a knife, everyone’s eyes darting around the room, yet refusing to settle on anything. Tsukishima cleared his throat awkwardly.

Kuroo was shell-shocked himself. He was supposed to react somehow, but how does one react to the man you’re in love but not soulmates with kissing you randomly?

He tried to make a joke, plastering a teasing smirk to his face, placing his hands inside his pockets. “You know, bro, I know I’m irresistible, but you could’ve just asked.”

…Inevitably, it didn’t land and now things were effectively a hundred percent more awkward. It took Akaashi clearing his throat and asking if anyone wanted dessert to calm everyone down, at least slightly.

***

And as Kuroo sat down at the table, trying desperately not to touch his lips in amazement, he realized that he really wanted to try kissing Bokuto again. He’d gotten a taste and he hadn’t even let himself enjoy it and now it was too late. Akaashi looked at him over the table, serious look in his eyes, urging him to remember a conversation they’d had on their first date.

***

“Why won’t you confess to Kou?”

The words had come completely out of the blue, breaking the comfortable silence between the men as they basked in the warmth provided by the car, tired out of their minds after two full hours of ice-skating and make-outs. Kuroo’s eyes widened, refusing to meet Akaashi’s, fiddling with the hem of his jacket.

“Confess what? We’re best friends.”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow, staring at his soulmate dangerously. “Forgive me then. I was under the impression that you were in love with him.”

Kuroo bit his lip, almost ripping the material he was playing with earlier. “Wh-What gave you that impression?”

Akaashi let some warmth seep into his tone, hoping to convince Kuroo to admit it. “The way you’re constantly looking at him with such adoration reminds me of the way I look at him.”

It was as if they no longer were in a car, instead transported to someplace where there was nothing but them, the streetlights, and the snowflakes breaking against the windshield. That’s when Kuroo finally dared to meet his soulmate’s gaze, golden eyes shining with fear, his voice reduced to barely a whisper. “And what if I was? …In love with him, I mean. Hypothetically, of course.”

Akaashi pretended to ponder upon it, the shadow of a fond smile making its way to his face. “Then I would advise you to confess to him. Hypothetically, of course.”

Kuroo furrowed his eyebrows. “But that would hypothetically mess up the arrangement.”

“I would argue that a day-old arrangement can still be modified, Kuroo-san.”

***

Thus, sitting at the table, glaring at the cheesecake slice on his plate as if it had murdered his family in cold blood, Kuroo couldn’t help but consider the writer’s words. He had a point, didn’t he?

No. Bokuto had kissed him because he mistook him for Akaashi.

But he did kiss Akaashi too! Maybe inside his head he wanted there to be more between them as well…? He didn’t want to give himself false hopes, but as Bokuto left the table to “go check up on Hootini”, Akaashi stared at him intensely, slightly moving his head as to tell him to go after him.

Kuroo stared back, moving his head from side to side in a clear “no”. That’s when a loud sigh could be heard next to him along with the clinking of a spoon to the plate.

“For fuck’s sake, just go and confess already.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened yet again (they seemed to be doing that a lot these days), as he glanced from Tsukishima to Akaashi and back. “Y-You guys…?”

The two nodded in tandem. “It’s hurts to look at”, replied the blond. “Now go.”

And as he all but ran towards the closed door of Akaashi’s study, breaths coming in quickly, he let himself think for a second. His heart was pounding loudly, almost breaking out of his chest, and he thought back to all the times he’d been a coward. From abandoning Bokuto in college, to pretending not to see him the first time he moved in next to him…That had to stop, right now.

_“Am I really doing this?”_ But it was now or never and he was very well aware of it, so he pressed a shaky hand to the doorknob and…

His phone rang shrilly at that moment, making Kuroo swear loudly. He had half a mind to ignore it, but as he checked the caller, he almost dropped the phone from his hand.

**Incoming call**

_From: Dad_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ASDFDG I don't really like this chapter that much ngl but I really can't do more w/ it rn since there were so many occurrences spanning over such a long period of time and I wanted to include everything and clarify stuff rather than focus on description, so if you guys see it edited it's not gonna be new plot points, just me polishing it up - I'm really sorry!
> 
> Okay, so Akaashi is a surprising matchmaker, Tsukishima just wants these boys to SMOOCH and Kuroo and Bokuto are confused dumbasses and I love them
> 
> As for Kuroo's dad, woah, man can't really mind his own business amirite
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading and I'm so sorry if this is subpar to what I normally write, I tried my best!! I hope you have a really really nice day!! <3


	15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

_“He could only be compared to porcelain – Perfect in appearance, and yet the slightest impact could prove to be devastating. But how were we supposed to know that, considering that the ‘fragile’ tag had been there for so long, the word had worn off?”_

…That was just one of his soulmates. But it was the only one the writer could focus on right now, downturned eyebrows mirroring the sad curl of his lips as he recalled the events that led them to the situation they found themselves in.

***

**Incoming call**

_From: Dad_

Despite Kuroo’s initial determination to confess to Bokuto, the instant a picture of his dad lit up his screen, his nerves regarding confessing moved aside to make room for the absolute _anxiety_ he felt at the thought of what the call might entail. The picture on the screen represented Kuroo’s one good memory of his father: Serious face, suit on, as he’d always known him – And yet in this one picture, there was a proud smile pulling at his lips. It was from Kuroo’s law school graduation and it was the only time that smile had ever adorned his dad’s face.

Brows furrowing, mouth twisting into a grimace, Kuroo sighed, let his hand slip from the doorknob and implicitly from what-could-be with Bokuto, and wordlessly exited the apartment, not wanting to be eavesdropped on.

As he pressed “answer”, his dad’s deep voice instantly boomed through the phone, commanding as always – It never failed to make Kuroo feel small in comparison.

“Hello, Tetsurou. How are you?”

Kuroo, now in front of his block of flats, stared at the quickly darkening sky as he tried to understand the purpose of the call. If he knew one thing, it was that his dad _never_ called to check up on him. Not to mention that they hadn’t spoken in months, their last meeting ending up in a fight, so what did he really want?

What the lawyer also knew, however, was that being rude to his dad was an impossibility – Despite the resentment he held towards him, respect was the one thing he’d been taught ever since he was young and no amount of independence could change that. Thus, he found himself taking on a polite tone, answering his father as cordially as possible.

“I’m… quite alright. How are you and mom?”

No hesitation. His tone was strict as always, as if he were talking about his time in the war rather than responding to a mundane question. “We’re good. Her flower shop is doing well, my firm is better than ever…”

He trailed off into a slight pause, before clearing his throat and picking up where he’d left off, taking on a diplomatic tone that Kuroo recognized as the one he only used for clients. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to discuss with you.”

A sarcastic smile took over Kuroo’s features as he tried to hide his disappointment, looking up at the sky. Yep, there it was. Another “come back to my firm” talk. Why couldn’t his dad call him to talk about their lives, like every other father did?

However, the tone of the older Kuroo seemed to hide a smile beneath it.

“You’ve been doing real good for yourself on that new firm, huh?”

The messy-haired man did a double-take. Praise? Impossible. He still felt warmth blooming in his chest, however, mind overcome with scenarios about them catching up, talking about cases, maybe seeing that proud smile on his dad’s face once more. He bashfully placed a hand behind his head.

“Yeah, I guess I have. I’ve had some really difficult cases assigned to me, too, but I haven’t lost any of them yet.”

His father sighed disapprovingly. “There are no difficult cases, Tetsurou. There are cases that you know how to solve and cases you don’t, in which case you either perfect yourself or you hand them over to someone smarter than you.” The strict talking-to then stopped abruptly, leaving room for an afterthought: “Good job, though, you never struck me as able to win these types of cases.”

The back-handed compliment didn’t fly over Kuroo’s head. This was like working at his dad’s firm all over again – Would it hurt to encourage him from time to time? He also profoundly disagreed with his dad – Hard work was what won most cases, it wasn’t about being smart, but he’d never contradict him out loud. He settled for a polite chuckle.

“Look, I was just wondering if you hadn’t changed your mind. You could stop working for that good-for-nothing firm and come back to ours.” A teasing tone took over his voice. “If you’re good enough, I might even consider making you a partner.”

If eye-rolling was audible, Kuroo’s father would have probably gone deaf. Yet the young lawyer still tried to be polite, through the grinding of his teeth.

“Thank you, dad, but I’m good here. The firm I work at does well for itself and that’s all that matters to me. Plus that I never did like using your name in order to be successful.”

A pause.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of our name, son. And I don’t like your tone, frankly; I’ve always been there to help you. Do you think you would have managed to work at your firm and get all the big cases if I hadn’t personally given a call to the CEO?”

Kuroo almost dropped the phone out of his hand. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This wasn’t happening. He was bluffing – Kuroo was successful because he was a _good_ lawyer. Not because of his dad. That was bullshit. He’d gotten to where he was because he had worked hard. He wasn’t riding his father’s coattails.

…Was he?

No. Kuroo shook his head from side to side, trying to calm his heaving breaths down.

“You’re lying. Stop it. You’re just not happy that I’m doing fine at a different firm.”

His father seemed deeply offended, his tone taking the form of dejection. “Why are you mad, son? I helped you, like any father should. I thought you’d be more grateful”, he sighed mournfully. “You know I’ve always been there for you, champ.”

 _Champ_ . The nerve on his dad! Acting sad too, as if he’d done Kuroo a favor! The young Kuroo felt an agitation he’d never felt before, and the parking lot in front of his block of flats seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. Everything he knew about his current life seemed to be crumbling and besides the clear _panic_ overtaking him, Kuroo also felt the anger pumping in his veins. He gritted his teeth, ready to give his father a piece of his mind, until his eyes widened in realization.

His dad had had good intentions, hadn’t he? He had no right to be mad. He’d just wanted to help and now Kuroo was being an awful son by being ungrateful. Sorrow bloomed in his chest at the way he’d clearly misjudged his dad, frustrated tears welling up in his eyes as his fists clenched to his sides. He didn’t know how to deal with life, did he? He probably would have been out of a job without his dad’s call – What kind of lawyer was he, even, if he often had to have Tsukishima help out with cases? _A really shitty one, that’s what_.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Thank you for your help.”

A pleased hum resounded from the other side of the call. “I’m glad you finally see it, son. I still wish you’d come back to our firm, but I’ll wait until you come to your senses. You’ve always _been_ the rebellious type.”

Through his tears, Kuroo managed to chuckle politely. He had to be grateful to this man, didn’t he? He was so ashamed of himself, the only thing he wanted was to hang up, head over to Bokuto and Akaashi’s apartment, and cuddle up with his soulmates.

Except that he couldn’t do that, could he? Things were probably still awkward between him and Bokuto after that kiss.

“Oh, also, did you find your _soulmate_?”

As if the man could have read Kuroo’s thoughts, his disinterested voice rang out, as if he was wiping his glasses while talking to his son, or perhaps reading a magazine. The sarcasm around the word “soulmates” was tangible as well, and Tetsurou didn’t know whether to admit or deny it.

…Maybe he’d be proud of him.

“Yes, I have. She’s really kind to me.”

Kuroo had never come out to his father and he had hidden his tattoos religiously, pretending that his soulmark was embarrassing and that’s why he wouldn’t show it. If his father was critical of one soulmate, how would he feel about _three_? Especially if they were guys.

A “tch” rang out, along with the sound of a lighter being turned on. He was probably smoking inside the house again, and Kuroo could almost visualize the smoke rising to the ceiling, as his mom would probably yell about how she hated the smell. His father would never put it out, though. A surprisingly honest voice rang out from the other side of the call, along with the distinctive sound of smoke being exhaled.

“Are you sure she’s the one?”

Kuroo furrowed his brows. He’d been right? His father was proud of him? He tried to feel happy, despite the heaviness present in his chest from his previous bout of crying. A fond smile broke on his face at the thought of his lovely soulmates and man he would soon confess to - He _knew_ they were the ones. They loved him, hopefully Bokuto too, and one day they’d get a nice house with a few dogs, he just knew it.

“Yes, I am.”

A sigh was the first answer Tetsurou received. “You know, champ, you gotta be careful out there. Fate can make mistakes, you know? I thought my soulmate was the one too, until she slapped your grandmother. I forgave her, but she still left me for someone else.” He paused as if the memory had reawakened something in him, then continued with a steady voice. “I know you probably think of me as overly-critical about soulmates, but I don’t want you bringing home some _skank_. Just keep a cool head about this, alright?”

His tone was almost jovial, as if he hadn’t dropped bomb after bomb on Kuroo throughout the entirety of the call. Frozen, all Tetsurou could muster was a “Thank you, dad”, then all the formalities, before rushing to click the lovely “Hang up” button.

The lawyer felt himself move to his car without actually realizing it, starting it up with mechanical movements and driving aimlessly, as a song he couldn’t identify played on the radio.

So, his father wasn’t critical of soulmates for no reason. The fact that he’d hidden his romantic past from Kuroo bothered the lawyer greatly- He’d been raised in a household where soulmates were considered useless, like blemishes on one’s skin that need to be covered up with as much make-up as possible before anyone saw them. Kuroo had never seen his dad’s soulmark, nor his mother’s, and he briefly wondered what they said and what his mother’s part of the story was.

Or was she truly just obsessed with money?

He also now knew that he’d misjudged his father. Yeah, he’d been really manipulative in the past and he’d only dedicated himself to his work, but he did help Kuroo get a job at his new firm. Kuroo couldn’t have done it without him and it had been foolish of him to think that he could. And to think he’d resented his father for raising him without the concept of romance, when he himself couldn’t believe in it anymore after his soulmate left him like that!

Passing a streetlight, he remembered his father’s words. _Fate can make mistakes._ Yes, it can, and it obviously runs in the family, doesn’t it?

He thought back to his relationship. They were happy, _really_ happy, but his feelings for Bokuto kept messing up the balance they’d all so carefully established. He thought of the way children draw circles, but they never really get it right. They would always start in one place, but never end in the same one, just barely missing the point of its completion. That was their relationship. Akaashi and Tsukishima dating Kuroo and Bokuto, but the two not able to meet and complete the circle, doomed to remain friends because fate had fucked up.

Kuroo’s head was pounding by now, and as he parked his car in front of his block of flats he checked his phone, noticing about five missed calls from Akaashi, two from Tsukishima and an astounding ten from Bokuto.

He decided he could just as well enter the apartment at this point and not bother calling them. Without knocking, he entered the apartment, only to see his soulmates sleeping on the couch, having probably fallen asleep waiting for him. But instead of being touched by the gesture, his eyes remained set on the small mint couch and the way his soulmates slept comfortably on it. Tsukishima was leaning heavily on Bokuto, glasses crooked as he’d forgotten to take them off, Akaashi’s arm tightly wrapped around him. Besides them, Bokuto was snoring up a storm, cuddling a pillow, whereas his long-term boyfriend had a serene expression on his face, as beautiful asleep as he was awake. But Kuroo could only focus on one thing:

_**Three** _ _people didn’t have to huddle together to fit on the couch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot's picking up again, Kuroo's dad is a toxic bastard but he's just trying to be a good dad and oops Kuroo's doubting himself and everything he's ever made of his life. What's new?
> 
> This chapter is shorter, but honestly I really enjoyed writing about the relationship between Kuroo and his dad! I hope you guys enjoyed this too, despite the lack of action in this chapter <3
> 
> Thank you very much for reading and commenting and stay tuned for what's to come!! :)


	16. CHAPTER SIXTEEN

** CHAPTER SIXTEEN **

_ “He was like a mirror slowly breaking from the inside – You wouldn’t suspect a thing until you heard the pieces clattering to the floor.” _

The writer rolled his eyes at the undoubtedly edgy phrase he’d used, reminiscent of a twelve-year-old finishing their first online fanfiction. And yet – It was accurate, wasn’t it? A few words said at the right time a month prior could have had the potential to change his entire situation. He let his head hit the table with a loud “bang”, pretending that the frustrated tears in his eyes were from the painful hit his head had taken and not from anything else.

***

A few aggravated raps on Kuroo’s door violently woke him up from his slumber. He groggily rose from his bed, hair mussed up even more than usual, blinking repeatedly in hopes of waking himself up. And as he finally managed to drag himself to the door, silently hoping that whoever had been behind it was gone by now, the lawyer was more than surprised to find himself face to face with a certain blond soulmate of his.

“Coward”,

Was the first word said to him in that monotonous tone of Tsukishima’s, the bespectacled man entering his apartment as if it belonged to him. With slow movements, he sat down at Kuroo’s desk, crossed arms and furrowed brows painting a clear picture. The blond rarely showed too much emotion, so this much expressivity meant he was _seething_.

Kuroo rubbed the back of his head, raising an eyebrow. What could he have possibly done to get Tsukishima this mad? He placed his hands in front of him in a defensive motion, leaning his head to the side in a silent question. However, the disappointment in the blond’s eyes seemed to only intensify, anger flashing on his face before he spoke, enunciating the first words slowly, as if Kuroo was not only illiterate, but also had just gotten a concussion.

“If you don’t have the balls to confess to Bokuto then don’t fucking run off and let us deal with him, will you?” Kuroo opened his mouth to reply, but he ignored him, cleaning his glasses with the hem of his shirt and speaking in that unreadable tone the raven-haired man knew so well. “He’s been in that dejected mode of his for the past ten hours and Akaashi and I have had to be the ones to clean up your mess. He thinks you’re _mad_ and _disgusted_ at him and that you’re going to leave all of us because of him.” Sighing, he pushed his glasses upwards. “It’s exhausting. And Akaashi was worried too. It’s like I’m surrounded by toddlers.” 

The “ _I was worried too_ ” was left unsaid, and Kuroo felt infinitely more guilty as soon as he noticed the dark rings under Tsukishima’s eyes.

“Besides”, the blond continued, “you decided to run off like that, not answering your calls, then going back to _your_ apartment, not even bothering to message either of us that you’re back. It’s like you _really_ don’t give a shit about these people.”

“ _It’s like you really don’t give a shit about me_ ” remained, as usual, unsaid, hidden beneath layers and layers of subtext.

It was the first time Tsukishima had ever been this mad at him, the first time Tsukishima had come up to him specifically to scold him and the first time said blond didn’t tease him or give him any snarky remarks. He really was serious, it seemed, and Kuroo briefly felt proud of how far the bespectacled man had come – A few weeks ago he was talking about “two quarters of a whole” and now here he was, defending his other two soulmates and giving Kuroo a piece of his mind.

But as he finally processed the harsh words addressed to him, the raven-haired man felt his heart sink to his stomach. He felt guilty, obviously – What kind of piece of shit was he, to have left his soulmates waiting for him? And poor Bokuto, blaming himself like that when all Kuroo really wanted was to kiss his lips again and never stop… Yeah, Tetsurou was a new brand of asshole, wasn’t he?

“I’m sorry”, he looked into the ground, urging the words to come out of his mouth. He wanted to tell Tsukishima about his dad, about how he’d realized that he’d been a piece of shit towards him and the guilt he felt. He wanted to tell him how worthless he felt now that he’d also managed to wrong his wonderful, kind soulmates and best friend. He wanted to tell him how he felt like he wanted to sink into the ground and disappear without a trace forever. He’d been so selfish, too! He’d gone to talk to his father, having a breakdown over a fucking phone call and then completely ignoring everyone else in his life; The lawyer was sure that if he told Tsukishima what had really gone down, the coldness in his eyes would intensify until daggers made of ice would shoot at him. Thus, he continued speaking, gaze glued to the ground, tone barely above a whisper. “I was just really scared, you know?”

Kuroo finally dared to take his eyes off the dirty floor (man, he really needed to clean his apartment soon), meeting the icy gaze of his soulmate. His thoughts were running at thousands of miles per hour, the image of him finally fucking up and losing Tsukishima’s trust forever imprinted in his brain. The blond looked him in the eye, a “Tch” escaping his lips as is there was a battle between forgiving Kuroo and leaving straight away going on inside of his mind. His gaze finally softened (if it could soften at all, that is) and he went up to his soulmate, gazing at him with an indecipherable emotion in his eyes.

“You’re a fucking asshole.” He then pressed his lips to Kuroo’s, the latter instantly melting into the kiss, fatigued by guilt and moving as if it were the last time he would ever get to kiss Tsukishima. He hoped it wasn’t, but there was something deep inside of him telling him that the three people he loved would one day realize who he really was – A good-for-nothing who hid behind a confident façade.

As Tsukishima broke off the kiss, a dazed Kuroo snaked his hands around his waist, holding him as close as he could. “If you’re too much of a scaredy-cat to confess, next time just come back to Akaashi and I. I’m sure he’d love to help you”, the blond mumbled in his soulmate’s shirt.

Kuroo needed to lighten the atmosphere. Quickly. He raised an eyebrow, crooked grin pulling at his lips, a hand dramatically placed near his chest. “And _you_ wouldn’t love to help me, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima looked at him and frowned. “Fuck you.”

“Right now? My, aren’t you forward”, Kuroo smirked cockily, looking at his soulmate.

The blond retreated from the hug, looking up at the lawyer, snarky smile on his face. “I’m sorry, but cowards don’t turn me on.”

It had been a joke – It had definitely been a joke and Kuroo was projecting. Tsukishima and he always made fun of each other.

_But then why did Kuroo feel his worthlessness sneaking up on him?_

***

“This is dumb”, declared Tsukishima one day, addressing the two soulmates next to him, their eyes glued to the screen showing some bad drama, where a girl seemed to be dramatically crying after some average looking guy had left her.

“Yes, it is. Why would she cry for a guy who treated her like that?”, replied Akaashi, face scrunched up as he tried to understand the logistics of the movie Bokuto had made them watch.

“It’s because she’s in _love_! And this is really emotional, because what if she never gets him back? You guys are just mean and insensitive!”, whined Bokuto, oddly invested in the action.

Akaashi sighed resignedly. “Only you and Kuroo could ever possibly enjoy these things. He’d already be crying if he were here.”

At the mention of Kuroo, Bokuto’s hair seemed to perk down, golden eyes instantly filling with remorse. Akaashi realized just a second afterward what a colossal mistake he’d made, bringing the elephant in the room up, but it was far too late for that.

“Exactly. I didn’t mean the movie when I said that this is dumb – I was talking about how fucking dumb it is that Kuroo barely hangs out with us at this point”, replied Tsukishima, annoyed. “Is he suddenly too good for us?”

Bokuto shook his head, eyes glued to the ground. “He’s still mad because I kissed him last week. I’m sorry, guys, I really messed things up. If you don’t want to talk to me ever again I understand.”

Tsukishima shared a Look with Akaashi. It wasn’t enough that they’d had to deal with _hours_ of Bokuto’s dejected mood the previous week, it was happening again? The two didn’t move from their places at this point, confident that some words of affirmation would be enough.

“Don’t be stupid”, replied Tsukishima, making Bokuto’s head rise from his knees. The blond then smirked. “If we don’t talk to you again, where would Akaashi and I go? The apartment’s on your name.”

Bokuto whined and placed his head back, not getting the attention that he wanted. Akaashi kept his face neutral as always, eyes glued to the screen although it was clear that he wasn’t watching the drama anymore.

“You’re both stupid. He’s been working on a case. It’s bad timing.” Upon second thought, he added: “We’d be able to stay at your apartment, Tsukishima.”

Bokuto just slid off the couch to the floor, as if the lack of attention had quite literally killed him. His soulmates smirked at each other, then Akaashi motioned with his head towards the dying vet and the men got off the couch, each at one side of their boyfriend.

“I love you, babe, come back to the couch. Kuroo’s going to come over soon and all four of us will hang out again.”

“Get up, loser. You didn’t mess things up and we care about you.”

Tsukishima still hadn’t gotten used to helping Bokuto out of a mood and he most certainly didn’t know how to comfort nor compliment anyone, so his speech was a tad awkward, but it seemed to work nonetheless.

Bokuto rose from the floor, grin so wide on his face it seemed as if the sun had risen again, despite the clear night sky seen through their window. “I love you guys too! We’re the best, aren’t we?”

Tsukishima’s eyes widened. Bokuto hadn’t meant to say it, right? He meant that he loved Akaashi, not him. That was it.

But looking at his soulmate, he didn’t seem too bothered by what he’d just confessed, an awaiting expression greeting Tsukishima instead. A soft blush rose to the blond’s cheeks. He guessed now would be as good of a time as ever to say it, right? And yet it was hard, he hadn’t told anyone those three words before and although he knew he just had to reciprocate, it was clear that the words needed to be pushed out, instead of slipping casually off his lips. His gaze instantly glued itself to the nearest wall.

“I, uh, I love you too.”

With that, Bokuto’s grin seemed to widen even further, if that was even possible, as he tackled Tsukishima down, peppering his face with kisses. “See, Akaashi? I told you he loved us! You’re just cynical as always!”

Akaashi looked at the two from the sideline, a fond smile on his face, features softened by the light coming off from the TV. He then locked eyes with Tsukishima, teasing glint evident in his azure stare. “He only said he loved _you_ , Kou.”

The blond scoffed, looking to the side, a slight blush making its way up his cheeks. “Yeah, well he’s the only one who said it, isn’t he?.”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow, licking his lips. “So, if I were to say it, would I hear it back?”

“…Perhaps.”

The writer seemed pleased with the answer, lips curling into a crooked grin, turning his gaze towards the television. “Guess I’ll have to find out another time, then.”

“But ‘kaashi! Say it!”, resounded Bokuto’s whine, probably loud enough for Kuroo to hear from the other side of the wall, making his two soulmates laugh loudly despite their normally quiet nature.

As a soft knock came back from Kuroo’s wall, a warning for the three to be silent, Tsukishima finally rose from his place on the floor with quick movements, ready to head towards the door. “That’s it, I’m done. He _shushed_ us.”

“Don’t”, was the writer’s only reply from back on the couch. “He’s just busy and we were bothering him.” And yet the perceptive glint in his eyes didn’t let up, telling Tsukishima that he’d have to have a private chat with Akaashi as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Bokuto spoke up. “Guys, let’s plan a super cool date for all four of us! I’m sure he’ll stop working on that dumb case if we do something interesting.” The naivety in the vet’s eyes was enough for Tsukishima to understand that he wasn’t joking and that Bokuto really thought that a date was enough to get Kuroo out of…whatever the hell it was that he was going through. Not like Kuroo had told Tsukishima, despite his casual questioning.

He narrowed his eyes, ready to retort, but Akaashi replied before him, not even bothering to take his eyes off the screen. “That’s a good idea, Kou. I can cook a big dinner for us tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Tsukishima’s face fell, as his gaze shifted to his calm soulmate, silent question on his lips. The latter, however, explained it out loud. “Kou will take him grocery shopping and I’ll cook. If he doesn’t know we’re roping him into a date, he won’t refuse. I think he’s not leaving us intentionally, but the stress he’s under is definitely taking its toll on him and we should do something to remind him that we’re here.”

It was the longest Tsukishima had ever heard the writer speak, but he sort of did understand his idea. Although something kept telling him that there was something else going on with Kuroo besides work-related stress, he had nothing to back the claim up, and if he’d learned one thing as a lawyer, it was that he couldn’t go into court without any evidence. So he shrugged and reluctantly agreed.

***

The movement of the pencil on the paper full of text Kuroo was underlining was absolutely _distracting._ Be it because he knew the case wasn’t actually that difficult, but he didn’t want to ask for help, or because he was now finally aware that he wasn’t really that good of a lawyer, but the words wouldn’t make sense, no matter how many times he repeated them in his head.

Repeated raps on his door made him get up, probably thinking it was Tsukishima, offering his help again, as he’d done for the past few days. It was always in a really casual context, the bespectacled man hiding behind lame excuses, but Kuroo appreciated the offer nonetheless and wished he could say yes. However, he needed to prove to himself that he wasn’t completely useless and that was no easy feat.

Sometimes he’d hear his soulmates through the thin walls and feel lonelier than ever – But things with Bokuto were still a tad awkward, Akaashi seemed more worried and judgmental than usual, whereas Tsukishima had stopped only being comfortable around him and, probably, didn’t need Kuroo around to make sure things weren’t awkward, anymore. Basically, he might have been avoiding his soulmates, but the case was also really not letting up on him and he wanted to prove something to himself. The trio would have to wait.

However, as the lawyer opened the door, already planning his “I got it, thanks for offering though” speech, he was met with Bokuto’s wide, golden eyes, excitement palpable in them.

“Come grocery shopping with me!”

Kuroo really didn’t want to let his best friend down, but he needed to work on that case and he was sure that he’d let something slip if he hung out with the man, so he smiled sheepishly, looking to the side. “You know what, bro, maybe another time? I’m kinda busy right now.”

Bokuto narrowed his eyes. “Nope, you’re only ever focused on that lame case! You need to go outside!” He then looked to the side, voice barely a whisper as he spoke quickly and almost intelligibly. “Besides, I can’t carry all the bags on my own, since the list is like, really long and all…”

The raven-haired man let out a loud wheeze, bending over to calm his laughing. _The_ Bokuto Koutarou, proudest man in the world, was admitting that some grocery bags would beat the shit out of him? That was incredible. Also weirdly endearing, but he wouldn’t go down that road again. He finally stopped laughing, straightening his back and looking at his friend with a solemn expression, as if he was agreeing to come to war with him. “Alright, I’ll be so kind as to help you carry those _boulders_ some call ‘grocery bags’.”

***

On their way to the store, the pair had seemed to relive their college days. Bokuto was grinning, acting like an absolute fool, doing everything in his power to make Kuroo laugh, and it was _working_. The two were walking side by side, petting dogs, cracking puns and filming each other doing the stupidest things.

“Hey hey hey!! We’re having an absolute _hoot_ of a time, aren’t we, bro?”, would say Bokuto on a video Kuroo would rewatch on the daily later on, the vet sitting on a loudly moving swing, then proceeding to jump off of it at its peak, promptly dabbing as he landed on his feet.

“Bro…Don’t dab…It’s 2019…”, replied Kuroo through his laughs, a pained voice due to the misuse of old memes audible in the video.

He had no idea how they’d gotten to a children’s park, but Bokuto had lead them there and the lawyer couldn’t deny that he was having fun.

Unsurprisingly, they got to the store a solid hour and a half after they’d left the house. And Kuroo would have much rather returned home that instant, cuddling with his boyfriends and reliving the past hour and a half with Bokuto forever, than enter that store, had he known what they’d find there.

The men split up, Bokuto leaving to get some beer, Kuroo heading towards the snacks aisle. Okay, Akaashi hadn’t told them to buy beer and snacks, but the need for a bros’ night had awakened in them, and, well, Kuroo could never say no to the man he was hopelessly in love with.

Bokuto had just picked up the beer, and as he glanced around him, trying to find his best friend, his eyes lit up as he saw a familiar mess of black hair complimented by the red hoodie he was so fond of wearing. He tapped the man on the shoulder.

“Bro, is this enough or do you think we need more?”, he asked, the excitement of the nearing date as powerful as ever. However, to his horror, the man who turned towards him wasn’t Kuroo, wide brown eyes staring at him behind black-rimmed glasses in pure confusion.

And this was the worst possible moment for Kuroo to have ever walked in looking for Bokuto, for the one thing that he had never wished to hear nor see seemed to come to life right in front of him, as the man placed a hand behind his head, awkward grin on his lips as he told Bokuto the sentence Kuroo had dreaded hearing all along:

_“I think you’ve got the wrong person. Can I help you?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah...Is that....???? Hopefully y'all recognise the last sentence or I'll feel like an absolute fool😳
> 
> Lmao so sorry for the cliffhanger but I absolutely couldn't help it but leave it there. I'm not even gonna comment on this chapter, everyone's their own degree of fucked up right now and oh boy am I enjoying writing it. 
> 
> By the way, sorry it's taking me longer and longer to write chapters, but online school has taken up five hours of my time on the daily and now I gotta balance that with homework and reading too :( 
> 
> Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, since it's the first time in a while I'm re-reading through a chapter of mine and actually feeling really good about it!! :) Also, thank you guys so so much for reading and commenting! It's like the one thing that keeps me motivated rn <3


	17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

_“We could only be compared to the three abandoned toys of a kid who had moved to college.”_

Was that unfair to be said about Kuroo? Perhaps. Was it accurate to how the trio felt? _Definitely_. The writer almost cursed at himself for rushing to add his new soulmates to the book, since now the absence of the fourth was, undoubtedly, going to add a certain bittersweetness to his ending.

…And yet it still felt like his book wasn’t truly over.

***

“Stop groaning into your pillow and call them.”

Kenma’s eyes were glued to the screen, movements exact as he maneuvered his controller. He didn’t even sneak a glance towards Kuroo, since he knew exactly what he looked like: Sprawled out next to him after having dramatically flung himself on the small bed, face hidden between fluffy yellow pillows as he whined.

“You know I can’t”, Kuroo replied with a groan. The lawyer had spent almost three weeks hiding in his best friend’s apartment, and, to Kenma’s dismay, he didn’t seem to have any plans to leave anytime soon.

Kuroo lifted his head from the pillows, hair the messiest Kenma had seen in his life, sighing loudly. The downturned curl of his mouth and the kicked puppy look adorning his face proved just how three weeks hadn’t been enough for him to get over any of the three men he was still very much in love with.

“Bokuto’s found his soulmate, they don’t need me anymore.”

The smaller man took his headphones off and paused his game, turning towards his friend with a bored look on his face. He’d gone through this at least a hundred times in the past few past weeks and frankly, it was getting tedious. “Is that what the one hundred and fifty texts you have received are saying? Or do you also need the fifty calls to convince you?”

Kuroo looked at his friend guiltily. “I haven’t checked them.” He then placed his hands in front of him defensively, fake grin plastered to his face, movements more animated than Kenma had seen of him lately. “It’s not like they need me, y’know? And I’m totally getting over them.” He blew at a strand of hair dangling over his forehead, eyes examining the room in fear of meeting the steely gaze of his best friend.

A skeptical look passed Kenma’s face. The man had had an enormous amount of in-depth talks with his friend regarding soulmates, and yet he still hoped that Kuroo had enough brains in his head to understand that he needed to talk to them. If push came to shove, he’d soon enough have to take action and actually tell Kuroo off, but Kenma _really_ wished it wouldn’t be the case.

***

_“I think you have the wrong person. Can I help you?”_

The moment Tetsurou registered the words addressed to Bokuto, he stopped breathing. It was as if he was suffocating under soil, and the universe kept shoveling more and more on top of him – He left his items on a random shelf and rushed outside of the store, finally taking a large breath of fresh air. His heart was pounding loudly, and the warm sunrays uncharacteristic of winter he had only minutes ago enjoyed on his skin were now boiling hot, as if they were taunting the lawyer. He felt like crying, but he really didn’t have any tears in him at the time and thus he did the one rational thing he could have: He called Kenma. In the smallest voice, so soft he wasn’t even sure the words could be made out, he stuttered:

“Bokuto’s found his soulmate.”

The usually bored man’s eyes widened, instantly on high alert. Seriousness oozed off his tone: “Come over right now.”

Later on, Kenma would compare the way Kuroo appeared at his door to a stray cat that one just can’t get rid of. But back then, the instant the man opened the door, he was met with the definition of misery – His best friend had obviously been neglecting himself for longer than the one day, rings darker than his hair around his eyes, outfit in disarray and a look of hopelessness etched onto his features. He was instantly almost toppled over by said best friend draping himself over him in a pitiful attempt of a hug.

Kenma awkwardly patted his back, ushering him inside and placing him on his couch. He got Kuroo off of him with huge difficulty, going ahead and making hot chocolate for both of them, just like when they were children.

“Tell me everything.”

And tell him he did. And then again the next day. Then the day afterwards. After three weeks, Kenma knew the story by heart, and yet Kuroo valiantly refused to listen to his advice.

***

“Stop calling him, he’s not going to pick up.”

A small blush found its way onto Bokuto’s cheeks as he was caught in the act, eyes drooping as he stared at his blond soulmate. Suddenly, determination wormed its way onto his features, eyes narrowing, the glare offered to Tsukishima one that rarely made its appearance when it came to the energetic man.

“So what, am I just supposed to stop trying? He’ll pick up, I’m sure of it.”

Tsukishima shook his head grimly. He’d sent his fair share of texts and calls himself, but after the first week he had stopped. Akaashi had told him of the way Kuroo had ghosted Bokuto back in college, so if he was the unreliable type, it’s not like anything could bring him back. The blond wished he could at least know what had caused it, since perhaps he’d feel slightly better about the situation, but truly, the signs _had_ been there, had they not?

The blond really just wanted to smack himself over the head a few times: Kuroo may have left a few weeks ago, not even going back to his apartment (God knows where he’s living now, really), but he’d been distancing himself for well over a month. From cases upon cases to “I’m tired”, finally peaking with silence met at the other side of a call, Kuroo had certainly managed to subtly extract himself from their lives and they had been none the wiser.

Pushing his glasses up, his look towards Bokuto was one of pity. He could only imagine how much it would hurt, being abandoned like that when he’d gone out on a grocery run. Although, he supposed, it could compare to when the vet turned up home a full hour later than expected, empty-handed and by himself, Akaashi’s food cold on the beautifully decorated table. By then, Tsukishima could only blow out the candles, a snarl etched onto his features.

“He’s not going to pick up. He left. That’s it. The three of us can do just fine without him.”

And yet… _Were_ they doing fine without him? Tsukishima glanced towards the closed office room, nowadays Akaashi’s constant place of residence. He would write all day, although Tsukishima highly suspected that writer’s block wasn’t being too kind to him, only getting out to eat and go to the bathroom. It was uncanny, the way he was suffering after Kuroo in his own way, considering that they really hadn’t known each other for too long – Although, he supposed, the same could be said of himself. Bokuto was gone at the clinic most of the time, coming home past dinnertime, exchanging a few words with Tsukishima and then heading straight to bed.

As for Tsukishima? He’d moved in soon after Kuroo had left, but in moments like these, it was like his own apartment would feel less empty. He felt like laughing like a madman, thinking about the way Kuroo had even quit his fucking job just to be away from them. He understood the concept of ghosting, but quitting work was taking it a step further, its mission of letting the bespectacled man know just how hard Tetsurou wanted to avoid him being more than just successful. He still recalls the way his heart seemed to stop the instant he found out, recoiling as if he’d been punched square in the face.

He was taken out of his reverie by a fuming Bokuto.

“If he thinks he can leave without an explanation, I’m not letting him.” He stared at the clean floor, eyes stuck on a specific part of the carpet, voice getting softer with each word. “I’m not letting him do the same thing he did back in college. We’ll find him.”

Tsukishima scoffed loudly at his soulmate’s naivety. The fire in the vet's eyes told him that he couldn’t be convinced otherwise, and yet, before he could retort, it hit him. It was as if light was finally shining behind the dark clouds that had been plaguing his thoughts, letting him see the real problem at hand: Their entire relationship was falling apart because of _one_ man.

With that train of thought, he stomped over to Akaashi’s office, knocking twice on the door.

“Akaashi, come out of there. We need to talk.”

Bokuto seemed taken aback by the way he’d been ignored, confused gleam in his golden eyes as they followed Tsukishima’s form. The lawyer simply looked at him, then headed towards the kitchen, sitting on the nearest chair and motioning for Bokuto to do the same.

The door to the study opened agonizingly slowly, the circles under Akaashi’s eyes visible from miles away. His movements were lethargic, and yet his face remained unreadable as he sat down next to his soulmates.

“What is this about, Kei?”

Normally the sound of his first name uttered by one of the people he loved would have made flowers bloom inside of Tsukishima’s ribcage, but now he found himself oddly numb. He glanced at Bokuto, then at Akaashi, steely gaze finally settling right in the middle of them.

“I respect both of you a lot.” He was met with two puzzled looks before he continued, voice getting louder and harsher, movements slowly but surely becoming more and more animated: “Which is why I have to say this: We are being _really_ fucking dumb. Kuroo left, so what? We’re still here and we love each other, so please, for the love of God, let’s move past this and watch a lame movie together or something. I’m tired of seeing you two wasting your day moping around. Get a grip already!”

He was always cool, never lost his temper, and yet he was _frustrated_. If Kuroo wanted to be an asshole, then so be it! It was as if the fire that had been kindling inside of him for the past three weeks had finally started burning, and the silence that stretched on after his rant signaled how taken aback his two soulmates were. They shared a look, then Bokuto quickly got up, taking Tsukishima up in a forceful hug, voice betraying the beginning of a crying fest.

“We didn’t mean to neglect you, Tsukki! We’re sorry!”

Akaashi stood up, locking eyes with the blond.

“You’ve grown from ‘two quarters of a whole’ to this. Can’t say I’m not impressed.” A tiny smile found its way onto his face for a millisecond, before being replaced by a guilty frown. “But you’re right. I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted, I apologize. We’ll make things right.”

“Hey, babe, get in on the hug!”, yelled Bokuto, extending an arm towards the writer. Akaashi rolled his eyes fondly, but still joined them.

And yet the shadow of a missing fourth person still loomed over them, leaving Akaashi with a bad taste in his mouth.

That night they watched a movie and cuddled and it was _almost_ reminiscent of their routine before everything happened: Comfortable pillows, small banter and the lamest movie any of them had ever seen set the scene. Akaashi and Tsukishima’s expressions were unreadable as usual, but they seemed pleased – Unlike Bokuto. Unbeknownst to the others, ever since the movie had started, a deep feeling of guilt had been worming its way inside his chest, slowly sinking to his stomach. He was more silent than usual, unconsciously cracking his knuckles and bouncing his legs up and down, painting a picture of pure anxiety. He’d left three weeks go by without telling them, but they deserved to know, right?

Koutarou had never been one to keep secrets. He’d always worn his heart on his sleeve, only knowing two moods: Pure dejection and pure energy. And yet, for three whole weeks, he’d let his soulmates ask themselves the same questions over and over again, refusing to disclose a serious piece of information. What if they found out before he told them? He had to tell them. He _had_ to.

Trembling hands took the remote and promptly shut the TV down about two-thirds into the movie. He didn’t dare glance at his soulmates’ clear confusion, instead opting for fixating his gaze to the ground, trying to force the words out. Under the protective cover of darkness, he still felt exposed – It felt more personal, but he supposed that the confession demanded it, one way or another. He tried to keep his voice stable, but wasn’t surprised when he could only produce a small whisper.

“I should probably tell you guys something.”

Bokuto still avoided his soulmates’ bewildered looks. His gaze had now moved to the wall, and the taste of copper in his mouth told him that he’d bitten his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.

“When Kuroo left, I, uh…” He considered saying something else. He still had the chance to turn it around. But it wasn’t the right thing to do, was it? “…I may have found my other soulmate?”

Both men’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, as they looked from Bokuto to one another and back. The sound of small wheels working inside their heads was almost audible over the tension-filled silence the confession had left in its wake, every second where nobody was speaking slowly driving Bokuto insane.

Tsukishima was the one to break the silence. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell us?”

Bokuto wasn’t used to harshness – On the contrary, he’d always been taken care of and the only jabs he ever got were teasing ones. Yet he knew he had to brace himself, eyes tightly shut as he listened to what his soulmates had to say.

However, Akaashi’s voice was soft as he expressed his disapproval. “Why did you hide this from us?”

A deep frown was etched onto the writer’s face – Why would Bokuto not trust them with information this important? Was he planning on leaving, too? Akaashi considered his next words carefully – He loved Tsukishima and Kuroo, no doubt, but _Bokuto_ , the man that he’d spent the past two years and a half with, if _Bokuto_ left, he wasn’t sure he could actually move on. He winced at the lack of control his voice displayed as he asked the dreaded question.

“Kou…Did you cheat on us?”

The anguish was palpable in Akaashi’s voice, and the vet’s eyes instantly glued themselves to him, widening, as his voice got dangerously high. “No!”

Akaashi raised his eyes to meet his long-time boyfriend’s. He felt betrayed, that much was obvious – But now his ability to be objective was proving itself useful and things were starting to make sense. _Kuroo had left because of Bokuto’s soulmate._

His eyes slid to Tsukishima’s form, the blond’s head resting between his palms as he tried to gather his thoughts. He was closer to Kuroo than him and it was obvious that the new information was affecting him, too. Then, suddenly, his moment of weakness was over, nonchalant façade returning as the bespectacled man fixed his gaze on Bokuto.

“Did Kuroo see you when you met... _him_?”

The vet glanced between his soulmates anxiously, wondering if there was more anger to be aimed at him, but for now he seemed safe. He tried to think back to that day, wanting to recall every detail, so as to be truthful once and for all with his boyfriends. Yet, some details were still blurry, buried underneath the pure feeling of _dread_ as he remembered desperately looking for his best friend and coming up empty-handed.

“I… I didn’t think so, at the time, y’know? But that’s the only reason why he would have left, I think. We were just… Shopping at the grocery store, but we split up. And I looked for him and saw this guy from the back, he looked just like Kuroo, y’know? And I went and asked him about the beers or whatever I was holding at the time and he turned to me and said ‘ _I think you’ve got the wrong person._ ’”

At the sound of the words Akaashi and Tsukishima knew too well, their eyes instantly found each other. Bokuto had stopped talking, biting at his fingernails like a toddler who had gotten in trouble.

“Then what?”, replied Tsukishima, voicing the thoughts of his soulmate as well, barely containing himself. Bokuto’s voice had gone soft again.

“…I ran.” He met Tsukishima’s gaze, the clear emotion portrayed in his golden eyes almost knocking the blond back. “I fucking ran, because I realized that I didn’t want another soulmate. I want you guys and Kuroo.”

He shifted his gaze to Akaashi. “I know it’s selfish of me, but I guess all this time I had been kind of hoping it would turn out to be him? I kept thinking that fate had made a mistake and he would fall in love with me and all four of us could live together and ignore the marks.” A brash chuckle left his lips. “Maybe he’s seen the meeting happen. But I’ve left so many voicemails and texts and he still hasn't responded, so I guess he didn’t feel the same, anyway." Tears were now brimming in his golden eyes. "I just wish I could have been good enough, y’know?”

Self-depreciation didn’t suit Bokuto. If seen on anyone else, it would have left Tsukishima and Akaashi indifferent, and yet the sight of their cheerful soulmate turning _this_ serious… It _hurt_. Wordlessly, they slid next to the vet and wrapped their arms around him, and if they spent the entire night comforting each other, well, could anyone really blame them?

***

The real blow, however, came when Akaashi called Kuroo the following day. He wasn’t expecting an answer, but Bokuto’s words kept ringing in his ears and he hoped that maybe, just maybe, if he picked up even by accident, things could be resolved – If Bokuto didn’t care about his newfound soulmate, it wasn’t as if Kuroo would, either, right? They could go back to being all four of them, this was just a dumb misunderstanding…

Four agonizing rings passed until, to his surprise, someone picked up. _Someone_ , as in, _not Tetsurou_. The voice was soft, but masculine, frustration clearly audible over the phone.

“I’ll put Kuroo on the line. He wants to tell you something.”

Silence stretched on and on at the end of the line, as the wide-eyed writer constantly checked the screen of his phone, just in case he’d been hung up on. He kept waiting, however, well-aware that even a few seconds with Kuroo could change everything, as the timer slowly ticked to two minutes.

Finally, the call picked up again, in what Akaashi recognized as the microphone being reactivated. _Nothing_ could have prepared the writer for Kuroo’s voice, the notes bringing back a feeling previously unknown to Akaashi – _Longing_.

And yet, the words he heard were curt and rushed, before the lawyer would promptly hang up, leaving Akaashi’s mouth wide open and heart shattered as he made sense of the sentence being said to him.

_“I found my soulmate. Please stop calling.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Can you guys tell I REALLY love writing angst? Lmaoo
> 
> Kuroo's an absolute dumbass, Jesus Christ. And Bokuto?? Poor baby?? I love him??  
> No further comment at this time ;)
> 
> I know it's taking me longer and longer to put out chapters, but I mean, we're getting close to the end and I'm not sure I'm mentally ready for it lmaoo. I'm sorry. Just wanted to say a quick "Thank you" for staying tuned for the updates, despite their irregularity :)
> 
> Nevertheless, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! Let me know your thoughts, I really do appreciate them <3 Have a lovely day!! :)
> 
> Just a small thing I'm adding for whoever comes across this either after reading or after checking for a new chapter - It's going to be over a week for the next one, as opposed to the two-three days, since I'm writing all the last three chapters before publishing them, since I want to make sure everything is perfect! Thank you for your patience <3


	18. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

_“He could not be compared to anything. Naivety combined with a low sense of self had killed off everything he could have ever been.”_

Although accurate, the statement wasn’t fitting for the end of the writer’s book. After all, not everything was about Kuroo, was it?

***

“I found my soulmate. Stop calling.”

The apathy on Kuroo’s face as he said the words that would taunt his entire existence afterwards was palpable. The instant he closed the phone, however, deep remorse filled his heart – Had he inadvertently stomped over his last chance at a happy life with two of his soulmates?

No, they were better off without him. They had Bokuto’s soulmate now – And, who knows, maybe the vet had brought him home, where he’d realized with glee that he should have been soulmates with Akaashi and Tsukishima too. Maybe they were all huddled right then on the too-small mint couch, arms wrapped around each other, blankets in disarray. Maybe they were cracking jokes, and Bokuto was wheezing in that weird way that he did and Akaashi had his lips curled up in the fondest of grins. Maybe even Tsukishima was smiling at the display, or at least raising a playful eyebrow. Maybe they were happy – Because they were four of them, four soulmates, a full, perfect circle. Had Kuroo wanted to be part of it? Yes. But if fate didn’t think him worthy, well, he supposed he would have to go down the road he’d so desperately tried to avoid – His father’s. Kuroo found some irony in that – The one thing he’d wanted to resist his entire life was, in fact, inevitable.

The lawyer knew that if he were to look at Kenma, he’d only be met with disapproval and anger – A surprising mix of emotions for the man, but one that Kuroo deserved. He let the phone fall out of his hand and into the red, fluffy blanket, before throwing himself at the edge of the bed and burying his face between two pillows – He could feel tears forming in his eyes, but it was for the better, right?

“You…You’re so dumb…What the hell, Kuroo…”

Kenma’s astonished voice was muffled by the yellow pillows, but Kuroo could sense that even his best friend, the one who knew him better than anyone in the world, hadn’t expected such a reaction out of him. Had it been vindictiveness? Pride? If Bokuto had found his soulmate, Kuroo wasn’t going to show them how bitter he was – Akaashi had probably called to show off the addition to the trio and spill out some bullshit about still being soulmates and, well, he wasn’t going to let him.

And, after all, he’d done the right thing – By cutting all ties with his ex-boyfriends, he could now start on getting over them. He still did have one soulmate left to find, right? And if they never met, well, his father had had a point on one of their calls, right? If fate could fuck up – And, boy, could it – Then Tetsurou was one of the unlucky ones. And he had to make do with it.

The sound of the door slamming startled Kuroo, but only as he found himself alone in the room, Kenma’s game abandoned, did he understand how much he had disappointed his best friend. And yet, he’d done the right thing. He’d definitely done the right thing.

The cold hit Kuroo’s face as he lifted his face from the pillows, drying tear tracks feeling the brunt of it, as he shakily held himself up. He had to breathe. He just had to breathe. So what if he was never again going to see Akaashi’s beautiful face scrunching up in one of his rare laughs, making Kuroo feel at the top of the world? So what if he was never going to feel the satisfaction of making Tsukishima blush with his flirty comments again? What if he was never going to hold Bokuto again as he went into one of his dejected moods, quickly switching back to normal afterwards and cracking the worst puns in the world with him?

What if…

Yes, he was going to miss all of these things and many more. He would just have to return to the memory of happier days, days filled with ice-skating and goofing around and nights of library dates and kisses on the rooftop – Movie nights, ending up with three pairs of arms snaking around him.

But he had to let go of these memories soon – If he was going to make it as a lawyer, he had to.

And yet, Tetsurou believed that he could, for the last time in his life, indulge himself and revel in his misery, if only so that he never returned to it afterwards. With that thought in mind, he unlocked his phone, finally opening all the text messages he’d ignored until then.

And if he cried himself to sleep that night, having gone through two boxes of tissues beforehand, showing up to work the following day with rings under his eyes so dark that he’d get sent home for being sick, well, that was just life, wasn’t it?

_[Keiji <3] Kuroo, don’t do this. Everyone misses you. I know you abandoned Kou during college, don’t abandon us too. I respect your decision, but I wish you would change your mind. I love you._

_[Tsukki <3] You told me we would never be two quarters of a whole, and now you’re the one who left us incomplete. Traitor._

_[Brokuto :)] Bro, come back. Hootini misses you! [Attachment: 1 Photo]_

_[Brokuto :)] I’m so sorry. Please come back. I ran from my soulmate! I don’t want to be with him._

***

“I found my soulmate. Stop calling.”

Akaashi was known for being collected. He was the calm writer, the one who kept everyone in check – Although, he supposed, lately it had been Tsukishima holding them together. And yet, the instant those words came into existence, the man felt his heart shattering. He’d never felt true heartbreak – Before meeting Bokuto, he hadn’t been involved with anyone, and while he’d been devastated when Kuroo left, the thought of him helping someone _else_ cook dinner, _kissing_ someone else, listening to old music with someone _else_ in his car… It made him sick to his stomach.

He wasn’t going to cry – He wasn’t in high school, crying over some girl who didn’t like him back. And yet, there was one thing he knew for certain – Fate had made a mistake when embroidering its fabric, and now its threads had gotten all tangled up.

To be fair, he couldn’t wrap his mind around it, no matter how hard he tried – If Kuroo and Bokuto had different soulmates, then what was supposed to happen with him and Tsukishima? Was fate so cruel as to let them live without their other soulmates? Had they been lucky to have someone like Bokuto, who wouldn’t leave them?

…That would make Kuroo an absolute asshole, which he was.

Although, Akaashi supposed Bokuto was no saint, either – Tsukishima had been so pained when left by him on their first meeting, yet the vet didn’t even consider how running away might affect the other person. What if Bokuto’s soulmate was bawling their eyes out right then, wondering what they’d done wrong?

Kou had been selfish. Akaashi was ashamed to be flattered by such a gesture, and yet its contrast to Kuroo’s actions couldn’t have been any stronger – While one had abandoned them at the sight of another soulmate, the other had been so scared to lose them that he’d left _the soulmate_.

Sadly enough, he was going to be the one to break the news. And yet, a resolution formed in his head at that moment – Kuroo was out of their lives. Forever. _As it should be._

***

When your dad is the CEO of a gigantic firm, you can allow yourself a few days (weeks) of sulking. After Tetsurou had deleted his messages (besides the one with a photo of Hootini, he would like to keep that as a sweet memoir), he realized how crying over something long gone wasn’t going to be of any help to him – He’d left that life fully behind, hadn’t he?

With that thought in mind, he ended up moving in with Kenma as soon as he could, since his best friend’s apartment was large enough to fit both of them.

Going to his old place had felt like walking down memory lane, the four walls between which the love story of his life had gone by only holding silence and a feeling of hollowness now. He’d inadvertently pressed his hands to the side of the bed where Tsukishima used to crash, the feeling of cotton under his fingers bringing memories long gone. He’d touched the couch where Bokuto had cried over the death of Hootini that, thankfully, didn’t come - If he tried, he could still feel the imprint of the man’s strong back on the couch. He felt each and every kitchen utensil, remembering how Akaashi had scolded him for not being organized and then kissed him like the world was ending, the fondest of smiles on his face.

Shamefully enough, Kuroo had let his ear press to the wall adjacent to Bokuto’s apartment, trying to hear even a last glimpse of his soulmates’ and friend’s voice – He didn’t, although he supposed it was for the best. The thought of Bokuto running away from his soulmate had somewhat put his mind at ease, knowing that nobody would take his place (Was that selfish?), and yet he was now painfully aware of the fact that, one day, Bokuto’s _real_ soulmate would show up and, well, Tetsurou didn’t think he could go through another heartbreak.

And yet, a full five weeks after he left, life seemed to be looking up – He was working at his father’s firm, a promising career path ahead of him. To be fair, fighting to make his dad proud was at least one activity that could keep him busy.

It was weird, when he thought about it: A mere month back, he was under the illusion that he was at the top of the world: Working at a firm that wasn’t his father’s, “on his own merits” (Ha!), having found two incredible soulmates that he was in love with and still holding the childish hope that he’ll make Bokuto his boyfriend. He hadn’t even wanted to hear about his father, and yet now here he was, holding similar views to soulmates, meeting up with him daily, in the place where he truly belonged – Somewhere where he could make it, if only because of riding his dad’s tailcoat. It wasn’t as if he was skilled enough to make it on his own, right?

Kenma had told him a few days back that he “didn’t like what he was turning into”. Kuroo found that statement incredibly rude – He was just achieving the true potential that he had, instead of reaching for ones far above him. They’d fought that day, flared nostrils and furrowed brows, and yet Kuroo knew, deep inside, that it was the way to go. His father supported him, so what else was there to be done?

It was a week later that he received a fateful call from his father, inviting him to have lunch. It was nothing uncommon – These days, the two would have lunch at least once a week, in places ranging from fancy restaurants to bland fast-foods. Today, they were headed to the newly-opened restaurant near the firm, where the food was allegedly _“heavenly”_ , according to Kuroo’s colleagues.

As they entered the large building, they were met with a queue longer than Tetsurou had probably seen in his entire life – Glancing at his dad from the corner of his eye, he whispered:

“You know, this place opened yesterday, so the entire city wants to try it. I think we might have to go somewhere else.”

A hearty chuckle left the older Kuroo, to the young lawyer’s surprise. “I’ll show you how it’s done, boy.”

To Kuroo’s shame, his father started advancing with quick steps along the queue, where everyone was cordially invited to make a reservation for a different time, finally reaching the man in charge. Muttering a few inaudible words in his ear, Tetsurou’s father motioned towards him as a waiter rushed to their side, immediately finding them a table.

If Kuroo’s cheeks could light up even more, he’d be illuminating the city in broad daylight. He leaned over the table, furrowing his brows as he tried to subtly talk to his father.

“Why did you do that? We could’ve gone somewhere else.”

The lawyer laughed once more, amusement playing in his eyes as he patted his son on the back. “Why? We deserve it, champ.”

It was about two-thirds into the meal, when silence had taken over, all plates emptied, that Kuroo’s father dared to break the silence, busying himself with the tablecloth as his features hid the beginning of a smile.

“You know, I wanted to go here specifically because I wanted to celebrate.”

Kuroo tilted his head in confusion. He hadn’t won a case that day or anything of the sorts, and celebrating was out of the ordinary for the oldest Kuroo. However, his father seemed to be pleased with his hesitancy, a wide grin taking over his face as he called a waiter to bring them some of their finest wine.

“You surprised me son. For the first time in my life, I’m actually proud of you.”

Kuroo preened at the compliment, ignoring its inherent backhandedness, surprised by his father’s openness – He’d done it? He’d brought that proud smile back to his face? This felt like graduation, only a thousand times better. He’d made his father proud, although perhaps not fully on his own merits, and yet he had.

He took a greedy sip of the red wine on the table, eyes spelling such joy that he hadn’t felt in weeks. And yet… What could he have done to deserve it? Bittersweetness tainted his glee – He’d wanted to be appreciated for his own work, although he supposed that was impossible. Realizing he had forgotten to answer and he was just staring at his father, Kuroo forced out a grin.

“Thank you so much, dad – I was actually really worried, but-“

“You didn’t ask me why I’m proud of you”, was his dad’s rude interruption. The teasing glint in his eyes was a mystery to Kuroo – Why _was_ he proud of him? He’d done well at the firm, but if that wasn’t it… Was it because he’d left his soulmates? Not letting him retaliate, his father continued, grin widening.

“I’m firing you.”

…What? Kuroo choked on his wine, eyes widening to a comical size, smile instantly slipping from his face, the initial feeling of elatedness sinking to his stomach. Was his father that cruel as to deceive him like that? It wasn’t possible. He wouldn’t. Would he? Kuroo’s arms instantly found their way to the collar of his shirt, animatedly picking at it.

“Wh-What?! Dad, you can’t! Where else am I going to work?”

As if his son wasn’t having a crisis, the old lawyer took a languid sip of his wine, slowly placing the glass back on the table. He locked eyes with his son, grin fading into a proud smile.

“I’m firing you from your position and promoting you to senior partner. Remember your last few cases? You didn’t ask for my help and your colleagues told me upon questioning all about how hard you worked alone.” He proceeded to sigh dramatically, as if he hadn’t just caused the biggest rollercoaster of emotions Kuroo had ever been on. “I always pegged you as the lazy type, thinking you needed my help to succeed, but you’re actually not that bad, kiddo.”

…What?! Kuroo’s heart was going to fail at any second. Not only had his father expressed his pride and promoted him to senior partner, but he was praising him? For the cases he’d worked on? A “not that bad” wasn’t used lightly in the Kuroo household – Very rarely had Tetsurou heard someone described as such. That must have meant that his father considered him to be a good lawyer.

…Wait.

Tetsurou frowned, moving the wine in his glass around. Lifting his gaze, he met his dad’s eyes.

“I’ll stay at the firm even without a fancy position, dad. You don’t have to lie to me, I’m well aware that I need your name to succeed – Making me a senior partner, however, implies responsibility, and I don’t think nepotism will help me there.”

The oldest Kuroo raked his gaze over his son’s face, analyzing his features – Scowl present on his face, golden eyes missing their gleam, as if they’d made their peace a long while ago. This boy was serious, wasn’t he?

Expression unreadable, he seemed to ponder upon his son’s words. He glued his gaze to the table, as if searching for something, humming thoughtfully. “Yes, I suppose it does imply responsibility.”

Suddenly, he met his son’s resigned gaze. “Which is exactly why I think you’d be perfect for it.”

Before his son could object, he continued: “You don’t need nepotism. I’ll be here to help you if needed, but I’m confident you’ll do well – Your win to loss ratio is incredible, and your approach to cases is meticulous enough to give _me_ a run for my money.” Seeing tears forming in his kid’s eyes, he scowled, looking to the side. “Don’t cry, crying’s for girls. Just accept the position and don’t get cocky.”

If this was a dream, Kuroo never wanted to wake up.

***

After the fated lunch, Kuroo had been allowed to go back to his place, in order to calm down, since he was allegedly “too excited to pay attention to cases” at the time. Instead, he decided to take a stroll, the cold winter air biting at his flushed cheeks.

He thought back to the conversation he’d just had with his father – There was no feeling to describe the way his words had rejuvenated him. After having knocked him down a few weeks back, reminding him that he needed his name to succeed, he’d just heard “incredible” and “give me a run for my money” from him, while being promoted to senior partner.

Did that mean that he could, in fact, make it on his own?

Fate was finally being kind to him, letting him know that he was, in fact, worthy – Although, he supposed, he’d have to prove it first. This was merely a chance to show that he wasn’t just a Kuroo, but also a good lawyer. For once, that made pride swell in his chest, a grin making its way to his face without him even noticing.

From now on, Tetsurou knew he had to take every opportunity that came to him. From the newest job, to his cases and, perhaps, a new soulmate? He was so thrilled that, for once, the thought of someone new didn’t seem daunting, just another step in his way of conquering the life he thought he might never have.

He still refused to believe in soulmates – Not after the whole fiasco with… Well, he wouldn’t say their names anymore. Familiar faces instantly came into his mind, but he pushed them back with such force he almost scared himself. Today was for being happy – That was it. If he never found his other soulmate, he’d do just fine, provided he proved himself to be the good lawyer his father(!) though he was.

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from behind him, startling the lawyer. As he turned towards the source of the sound, he was met with…

Was this…?

_Brown eyes. Perfect hair, tousled after Kuroo’s fingers had carded their way through the soft locks. Polyester bed sheets, so uncomfortable and yet it didn’t matter at the time. The taste of alcohol on both of their lips, teasing words said in between moans._

Coming face to face with Tooru, his old buddy back in college, the one person he’d managed to sleep with and still remain friendly, a plan let itself form in Kuroo’s mind.

_He didn’t deserve soulmates, so this guy would do, right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know those moments when something in your life seems to get solved and then instantly something else gets fucked up? Yeah, that's this fic tbh.
> 
> I'm aware that maybe this chapter is a bit boring or it isn't as engaging as the others usually are, but I just really loved writing about Kuroo's feelings? I guess in order to get through this part of the fic I have to be in a really angsty mood, so by repeatedly placing myself in that mood I actually became the angst myself lmaoo.
> 
> Two chapters left!! This makes me feel some type of way, since for the past month I've been busy writing and now I'm going to be all ???? What now ???? 
> 
> Ah, but that doesn't matter lmao. All I wanted to say was thank you for reading, thank you for sticking around and definitely thank you for all the comments!! I hope you'll enjoy the last two chapters as well <3
> 
> Btw, the last two chapters will be posted the day after tomorrow and the last in four days🥺


	19. CHAPTER NINETEEN

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

_“One of my soulmates could only be compared to the biting winter wind that slowly turns warmer with the natural progression of time. The second one was the sun, coating the world in a golden light, yet stubbornly hiding behind grey clouds during the cold season.”_

“The third, we don’t talk about”, would add Akaashi before erasing the entire comparison yet again, frustrated hands grasping at his hair as he wondered if he would ever be able to capture the essence of his soulmates in just a few simple words.

***

Oikawa Tooru’s features were just as polished as when Tetsurou had first met him. From the perfectly styled hair, to the sassy yet vicious look in his eyes, his entire being culminated in his gracious movements, as if he’d been a member of the Russian ballet in a previous life.

A wide smile had taken over his face – One of his fake ones, Kuroo noted – as he still waved animatedly, despite being one meter apart from him at most.

“Tetsu-chan! I haven’t seen you in _years_!”

Kuroo smirked, the one he’d used at parties back in college, the one that always implied that he was overwhelmingly confident and had a spare place in his bed. If Oikawa felt half as lonely as he did, that smirk wouldn’t fail with him. He then placed both of his hands in his pockets, casually leaning to the side as he looked his old friend up and down.

“Not like you’ve tried to keep in contact, princess.”

At that, Oikawa pouted, placing a hand on his chest in mock-offense.

“First of all, I’m pretty, but you can’t call me princess”, he replied, sticking his tongue out as he counted his points on his fingers.

His entire demeanor then seemed to change, as he glanced to the side, pretending to fix his hair. “Secondly, it’s not like _I’m_ the one who was instantly _too busy_ after finishing college.”

Before Kuroo could retaliate, Oikawa showed him one of his charming smiles, waving his hand dismissively. “Ah, but that’s fine, no worries, Tetsu-chan. You know, after I found my soulmate, I can’t say I kept in touch with anyone either.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened, his entire attitude shifting from flirty to friendly. Alright, Oikawa was _not_ single, apparently - That was fine, it was fate reminding him to keep focused on his career. Thinking about Oikawa with a soulmate, however, made him raise an eyebrow, snickering.

“Wait, so there actually is someone on this earth who will put up with _you_?”

Oikawa’s face fell, a scandalized look adorning his features as he puffed his cheeks. “You’re still so mean, Tetsu-chan!”

That’s when Kuroo let a wheeze escape his lips, bending over to stop his laughing. The face his friend made was still _hilarious_ after all these years.

“Well, Tetsu, there’s no need to be jealous – I’m sure one day you’ll find those three people who will put up with that horrendous wheeze of yours.” Oikawa crossed his arms, pursing his lips to the side.

Kuroo knew Tooru had meant no offense, only keeping up with his own insults, and yet at the mention of the three people, he couldn’t help but let his face fall. He’d _had_ two out of three soulmates, and they _had_ put up with his laugh, but he really didn’t want to think about that. A fake smile made its way onto his face as he shifted his eyes to the side, placing a hand on the nape of his neck.

“Yeah, I’m sure they will.”

That’s when Oikawa subtly put a halt to their game. He’d always been perceptive, and something in Kuroo’s demeanor made him believe there was something more to whatever face he was putting on. Should he press on? He probably shouldn’t, it wasn’t his business.

Suddenly, an idea seemed to pop into Tooru’s head, all previous discussion forgotten – Or was that just a way of changing the subject without digging further?

“Oh, by the way, _I_ ’ve actually kept in touch with most of our old friends” – He gave Kuroo a teasing side-eye – “and we’re actually meeting up tonight. You want to come?”

Old friends… Did that mean Bokuto as well? Because Kuroo didn’t think he could deal with seeing him again, especially if they would be seated at the same table. But meeting his old acquaintances wasn’t too bad of an idea – Having fallen out with Kenma (Man, he had to make amends, they were living in the same apartment and a friendship spanning over two decades wasn’t something he wanted to throw away), Kuroo realized that he didn’t have any friends, really. He’d distanced himself long before even meeting Tsukishima, burying himself in work in hopes of impressing his father.

A smile came to his face at that, realizing that he _had_ impressed his father. At least one thing was checked off of his bucket list.

Looking at Oikawa suspiciously, Kuroo considered the pros and cons.

“And it’s going to be just us law majors… Right?”

Oikawa nodded gleefully. That’s when Tetsurou found himself inadvertently agreeing – What _could_ go wrong, really?

“Eh, why not? Text me the time and place and I’ll be there.”

***

“Bokuto”, spoke Tsukishima out of the blue on one of their walks, Akaashi having stayed at home to work on his book. Snow crinkled atop blocks of flats, adorning the signs of various stores, as the cold wind blew snowflakes in their direction.

The vet didn’t even turn his head towards his soulmate, a hop in his step as he didn’t seem to have a care in the world. The wind had tousled his hair, a few stray strands framing his face. “Yeah?”

Tsukishima took a deep breath, pushing his glasses up. Was the middle of the street the right place to have this conversation? Yes, it was – He had to say it while they were alone, as he’d avoided doing so in front of Akaashi in fear of angering him. The writer was… unpredictable these days, to say the least.

After his call with Kuroo, they’d all been hurt in their own way – And yet, knowing they had each other had helped tremendously, and a few weeks later Tsukishima and Bokuto could at least pretend to function properly. They _were_ oftentimes grimly reminded of his absence, from the four plates laid out on the table or the space they still subconsciously left on the couch for him, but, day by day, they were one step closer to eradicating those feelings. Akaashi, however, was burying himself in his work and, frankly, it wasn’t going as well.

Another sigh left Tsukishima’s lips. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Bokuto’s eyebrows seemed to raise up to his hairline. To the blond’s puzzlement, his lips twisted into a grimace, hands making aggravated movements as his tone turned whiny. “I’m so sorry I ate your shortcake last night! I was just really hungry! And, in my defense, when I asked you, you nodded in your sleep!”

Through Bokuto’s airheadedness, Tsukishima could only sigh fondly. “You did _what_?” He then shook his head. “Never mind that. It’s something else.”

That’s when the vet’s mind seemed to go through a million scenarios. What could he have done to make the lawyer deem a serious conversation necessary? He stopped his movements, listening attentively, instinctively bringing his hands together as he fiddled with his fingers. Tsukishima glanced to the side before finally turning towards his soulmate.

“Look, I know you ran from that guy because you wanted to come back to us. But…” He seemed to hesitate, hands pulling at his sleeves. Finally, the blond turned towards Bokuto, finding it in him to stare him dead in the eye. “You should’ve stayed to talk to him. I know how _I_ felt when I thought you ran away, so…”, he seemed to stop, pondering upon his next words. “If you ever see him again, promise me you’ll talk to him.”

Bokuto was at a loss for words – He hadn’t considered that. Guilt wormed its way into his heart, remembering his soulmate’s confused face as he ran away. And as he bit his lip, gaze glued to the ground, a few snowflakes made their way into his hair and he knew his next words were truthful:

“I promise.”

***

“I’m home!”, Kuroo yelled out, entering the dark apartment. He’d half expected to receive an answer, and suddenly the silence seemed deafening. Tetsurou’s guilt intensified. Not being the talkative type, Kenma still always acknowledged his presence one way or another whenever he came home – The lights being turned off meant he was _furious_.

Making his way through the apartment, he found the younger man sitting on the bed in his room, gaze glued to the screen of his TV, eyes shining with concentration as he skillfully played his game. He didn’t spare a glance towards Kuroo when he entered the room, making the man lean on the entrance, a guilty look in his eyes. It had taken his dad’s approval for him to understand that Kenma had only told him the truth and that he was, in fact, turning into a person that he knew he wasn’t. And yet, stuck in his own reality, he’d fought him on it, throwing words he hadn’t meant - How was he supposed to make things right?

“I’m sorry, Ken.”

His friend only raised an eyebrow, golden eyes never leaving the screen.

Okay, he needed some more tact. Kuroo aggravatedly dragged a hand through his hair. “I, uh, know that you only wanted to help me, and I may have messed up?”

His friend’s eyebrows only raised farther, the only sign he was actually listening.

“And, uhm, I can’t tell you I’ll talk to my soulmates ever again, but my dad told me he was proud of me and he said I’m doing well without his help, and maybe that means I can stop the pity-party and maybe we could be pals again?”

The awkward grin that had taken over Kuroo’s face seemed to freeze as he garnered no reaction from his best friend. “Come on, dude, I miss you. What else am I supposed to say?”

That’s when a satisfied smile made its way onto Kenma’s features. Gaze never leaving the screen, he extended a second controller to his friend. “As long as you’re Kuroo again, come play, loser.”

***

A sharper than intended jab in his ribs startled Bokuto, as he turned towards Tsukishima with a pout. “What was that for?”

The blond’s head motioned towards the cereal aisle, where a familiar mess of black hair seemed to be browsing. At first Bokuto narrowed his eyes, wondering what the odds were for Kuroo to still be going to that same grocery store, and yet as he took a better look, he realized with a start that it was his _soulmate_. The one he’d abandoned, the one he’d promised Tsukishima he’d talk to and, last but not least, the one he probably should have at least given a chance.

It made sense for him to be there, didn’t it? He wouldn’t have stopped shopping over there just because some guy with weirdly dyed hair had run away from him. Or maybe he was there specifically in hopes of meeting him again?

Bokuto turned towards Tsukishima with a bewildered look, whispering. “It’s him!”

The blond merely rolled his eyes, pushing him towards the man. “Go.”

***

It felt nice to dress up for a night out again, Kuroo mused as the small bar came into view. Oikawa was supposed to be waiting for him over there, but he seemed to be fashionably late. _As always_ , Kuroo thought, nostalgia tinting his chuckle as he recalled the many hours spent waiting for him back in college.

As he finally reached the entrance, the dim light from inside shone through the wooden door. Man, this place looked sketchy – Although, he supposed, it did resemble the kind of bars he used to frequent back in the day.

“Shittykawa, stop walking so fucking quickly!”

A deep voice resounded from behind him, as Kuroo turned around, seeing a rushed Oikawa dragging someone behind him, hurrying towards the bar. With his free hand, he waved at Kuroo, steps getting faster and faster until the pair stood in front of him. The man next to Oikawa brushed some invisible dust from his clothes as his companion gave Tetsurou a big smile.

“So glad you could make it, Tetsu-chan!” He then turned towards the man next to him, motioning towards Kuroo. “Iwa-chan, this is Tetsu. We used to take Criminology together.” He then turned towards Kuroo – “And this is Iwa-chan, my soulmate. He’s mean like you”, he pouted, glancing back at his apparent soulmate.

Kuroo merely chuckled, shaking “Iwa-chan’s” hand. “Man, I’m sorry for you.” He then very obviously shifted his gaze towards Oikawa, a small smirk on his face. “How do you deal with it?”

Iwa-chan laughed, but Tetsurou didn’t miss the fond gleam in his eyes as he mentioned Oikawa. “Hell if I know, honestly. Also, please call me Iwaizumi.”

“…I’ve made a mistake bringing you two together”, Oikawa’s pout didn’t relent.

***

Was going up to his soulmate a good idea? Probably so. Was Bokuto prepared to go up to him? Definitely not.

He gave Tsukishima a desperate look, but the other shook his head, pushing him once more towards the aisle. This was such a bad idea. How would he talk to him? What would he say? What if he was mad? Bokuto didn’t know how to deal with people when they were mad!

Defeatedly, he took a few slow steps, finally tapping the man on the shoulder. The confused glint in his eyes as he turned towards him brought Bokuto back to that fateful day over a month before, but he wasn’t going to run away this time.

***

“The man of the hour!”, yelled a familiar voice as Kuroo entered alongside his two companions. A smile instantly made its way onto his face as he saw five familiar faces, going up to each of them to shake hands. It was weirdly nostalgic – These people had probably undergone so many changes throughout those few years, and yet from the outside there barely were any differences. It almost felt like he was back in college again – On a night out, the upcoming exams forgotten as they got together for a drink.

Daichi’s heartful laugh as he shook his hand brought Kuroo out of his reverie. “If I hadn’t heard about your dad’s firm lately, I would’ve thought you were dead!”

Embarrassed, Kuroo placed his hand behind his neck, lips curling into a crooked grin as he took a closer look at his pals. “Ah, c’mon guys, it wasn’t _that_ bad.”

Disapproving looks came his way. “Yeah, it was.”

A certain red-haired man he recognized as Tendou Satori draped his hand over his back. “Well, that doesn’t matter anymore! Come reminisce with us!”

***

The more seconds passed between Bokuto and his soulmate’s locked gazes, the more awkward it got. Yet, the vet had no _idea_ what he was supposed to say at that point! How do you apologize for running away from your soulmate like that? He _had_ apologized to Tsukishima, and yet that had been after they’d known each other for at least a day!

Lips pursed to the side, he glued his gaze to the ground. The words seemed to tumble out of his mouth at an alarming speed, such that he almost wondered if he was even intelligible.

“I’m so sorry I ran away from you even though we’re soulmates! I just have two of them already and I was scared!” He bit his lip, almost drawing blood. “I know it was really messed up of me, but maybe we could try again?”

***

It was after countless stories, from parties, to that one time Oikawa had set fire to the kitchen, and finally to the sweet memory of Daichi’s mother’s cooking, that a subject Tetsurou had so desperately avoided would come up.

“Yo, actually, Kuroo, have you kept in touch with Bokuto?”, would ask Terushima all of a sudden.

Kuroo’s gaze would darken, as he let himself stare at the beer in his glass. “No, not really.”

***

As Bokuto finished rambling, he was met with silence at the other end. He let his gaze meet his soulmate’s, seeing pure awkwardness etched onto the man’s features. Brown eyes studied him from behind thick lenses, then shifted to the side, as the man fiddled with his jacket.

As his soulmate formed his next words, Bokuto’s world seemed to fall down on top of him.

***

“Man, that’s such a shame! You two were the ultimate duo.”

Kuroo’s lips inadvertently twisted into a grimace. “Yeah, I guess.”

Everyone had noticed Kuroo’s reluctancy to talk about his ex-best-friend, and yet there was _one_ person in the entire world who would have been tactless enough to still talk about it. And as Konoha opened his mouth, Tetsurou’s eyes would widen to the size of saucers, as he grasped at his chair to keep himself from falling off.

“My first impression of Bokuto was that he was an absolute weirdo. I mean,”

***

_“I’m so sorry, but I think you keep confusing me for someone else? My, uh, soulmate is over there.”_

***

_“Who’s dumb enough to lose his pants at his first ever college party?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand the shocking (not) reveal!! Lmaoo y'all caught on from like chapter 12 or sth, but I hope I managed to at least throw you off track until now <3
> 
> I'm emotional posting this?? Sorta?? Like woah one chapter left ?? 
> 
> I hope this chapter wasn't confusing with all the alternations and I truly hope you guys enjoyed it!!
> 
> Thanks again for reading and commenting, honestly I just get so incredibly happy whenever I get a comment it's hilarious <3
> 
> Aand tune in for the last chapter (🥺) the day after tomorrow!!
> 
> Love you guys, no cap <3


	20. CHAPTER TWENTY

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

_“Who’s dumb enough to lose his pants at his first ever college party?”_

…

No. No. No. This…This was impossible. It couldn’t be. After Kuroo had worked so hard to forget all of them, could it be possible that Bokuto had been his soulmate all along?

Kuroo felt like he couldn’t breathe – No, it can’t have been; They’d met in the morning, as Bokuto was nursing over a hangover… Right? It felt as if reality was warping into something completely unfamiliar to the lawyer, something so pleasant and yet something that gave him everything he thought he didn’t deserve. Something wasn’t right.

Suddenly, Oikawa banged his hand on the table loudly, quickly getting reprimanded by Iwaizumi.

“Oh my God, I remember that! He went up to poor Tetsu, waxing poetic about some spiritual stuff and Tetsu was all ‘Wrong person, wrong person!’” He then let out a laugh that was anything but elegant, probably due to the inhuman amount of alcohol he’d previously consumed.

If Tetsurou was gaping at Oikawa, it wasn’t as if any of them was in the right state of mind to realize it.

No. Kuroo can’t have gone through months, even years of yearning, only to find out that Bokuto was his soulmate. From his four years of college, when every touch of the would-be-vet had seemed to spark up a fire inside of him, to a few months back when he’d first moved in next to him, bringing unrequited feelings back, the words on his wrist being Bokuto’s meant that he’d wasted so much time, so many tears and so many feelings of not belonging on something that wasn’t even real.

The lawyer tried to look calm, but his wide eyes and quick breaths told a different story. He desperately locked eyes with Oikawa, golden meeting chocolate.

“A-Are you…Sure it was like that? Maybe it was a different person.”

His words were coming in quicker and quicker as he tried to stay calm, but he couldn’t help himself. _He had to know._ “I met him the morning after, from what I remember.”

Oikawa seemed puzzled. He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow, looking at Kuroo as if he were the dumbest man in the entire world. If Kuroo’s hypothesis about his apparent soulmate was true, maybe he _was_.

“I thought you guys only told the story that way because Kou-chan was ashamed of getting that drunk at his first party?”

…Oh my God.

Suddenly, a roar of laughter seemed to come from Terushima. “You guys were _that_ fucking wasted that you actually thought that was how you met?”

Kuroo’s world was falling rapidly, pieces atop pieces of the sky slowly breaking up above his head. The floor seemed to crack beneath his feet as he stood up from his chair a little too quickly, hands forming animated movements as he stuttered out a quick excuse.

“I, uh, actually remembered I have to pick Kenma up from… classes? It was nice seeing you guys again, but I’ve really got to go now.”

He grabbed some cash from his pockets and all but threw it on the table, breaking out into a run before anyone could even say their goodbyes.

As Kuroo finally found himself in front of the bar, a loud wheeze broke out of him. Then another. And then another. How many years had he spent suffering? _Yearning_? How much time now had he felt like he didn’t belong, like he was part of an incomplete circle? And fate…Fate really hadn’t made a mistake, it seemed? This entire time, they’d unknowingly been soulmates! It was as if a veil had been lifted from over his eyes and he could finally see clearly – Even though it was night, Tetsurou now saw color everywhere he looked.

He knew he had to get to his soulmates’ apartment as quickly as possible. _Soulmates_. All three of them. Kuroo’s laughs came down as he hurried towards the apartment, a wide grin on his face – There was no need for fancy words, he was just so _happy_.

And yet…What if it was a mistake and Oikawa had remembered wrongly? Could he actually allow himself to hope? What if Bokuto didn’t feel the same?

…What if his soulmates didn’t want him back after the way he’d treated them?

Kuroo let his movements come to a halt. He’d ignored their messages, told them he had found his soulmate and avoided them altogether, although Bokuto had quite literally run away from his soulmate for him and all three of them had tried their hardest to get through to him throughout the past month. Not to mention how _selfish_ he’d been – He could have returned at any time, especially after finding out that Bokuto had run away. Yet he’d been an absolute coward, staying hidden under the guise of “ _they’d be happier without me_ ”.

…On that note, what about Bokuto’s soulmate? Tetsurou supposed that, provided that he’d run away before finding out if his words matched as well, it could have been a coincidence, but what if they really _were_ soulmates? What if fate had fucked up, but in a different way than he’d anticipated?

Was it worth the risk?

The thought of coming back to his soulmates, although dreadful, brought a warm feeling into his heart – He imagined holding Tsukishima in his arms, the blond stiffening before slowly wrapping his arms around him as well, a small blush high on his cheeks. He imagined reading with Akaashi, his head on his lap as the writer would sigh affectionately and comb his hands through his hair. Finally, he imagined being able to hold Bokuto’s hand – Kissing him softly, a hand on his chin, the other around his waist. He imagined the four of them watching a bad movie and being able to cuddle without any awkwardness or feeling of being out of place – A perfect circle, without loose ends.

That’s when he knew he still had to try – Even though his soulmates may not want him back, if what he’d heard was true and fate hadn’t actually made a mistake, Tetsurou would go to hell and back just for the chance to make their relationship a reality again.

The wind was blowing furiously as he hurried towards the block of flats he’d avoided even driving by in the past month, cheeks reddening, and yet his only thoughts were of Bokuto, Tsukishima and Akaashi. His _soulmates_.

***

It was past eleven. The wind howled outside as Akaashi typed furiously on his laptop, while Bokuto and Tsukishima stood huddled together in his study, Hootini chirping happily in their hands. They’d begged the writer to go to sleep, and yet he’d insisted that he would work for longer in the vain hope that his book might finally come to an end. Nothing could be heard besides the aggressive typing and then erasing on the abused keyboard and the flutter of wings each time the small owl would fly from one man to the other.

The room was bathed in a soft light, Akaashi’s face illuminated by the screen. A smile made its way onto Bokuto’s face as he glanced at him, then at Tsukishima, who was busy patting Hootini’s small head. It was weird, he mused, how everything had come together – There had been two of them, then almost three, then suddenly four, a failed attempt at a fifth and now three remained. 

Akaashi was… Incredible. From the moment he’d met him, a shy man who had no idea which way his life was heading, to the way he’d slowly opened up to Bokuto over time, until _he_ became the one to take care of Kou, patience and kindness unrelenting… Then Tsukishima, the one who’d always kept them together, despite his unapproachable façade – He was dependable, and a smile of his was dearer to Bokuto’s heart than the most expensive diamonds in the world.

And yet, for some unknown reason, despite the domestic scene he found himself in with the people he loved, the vet couldn’t help but still grieve over Kuroo’s absence. From their days in college, where the lawyer’s shittiest jokes got a laugh out of Bokuto just because anything Kuroo said was absolutely incredible to him, to the way Bokuto had missed him to death afterwards, despite only thinking back then it was because he was his best friend… To the exhilaration he’d felt when they met again, only to feel disappointed when they weren’t soulmates, Bokuto had only come to terms with his feelings weeks into their relationship, when it was too late, as Kuroo was already distancing himself.

He knew he had no reason to miss him anymore, so then why did everything still remind him of his ex-best-friend?

A loud knock brought Bokuto out of his reverie, as three heads suddenly turned towards the main door, Hootini flying out of Tsukishima’s hands. The men locked eyes, confusion written all over their faces.

“Are we expecting someone?”, asked Akaashi, already getting up from his chair.

“No, we aren’t. Or at least I’m not”, Tsukishima turned his gaze towards Bokuto.

The man only shrugged, bringing a hand to his chin. “I don’t think so?”

Akaashi was the one who made his way towards the door, peeking through the visor. Suddenly, he turned towards his soulmates, face paler than before, before furrowing his brows, taking a deep breath and confidently opening the door, distaste obvious in his tone as he placed a hand on his hip condescendingly.

“What are you doing here?”

Kuroo stood still as he took in Akaashi’s features – He was still just as handsome as the last time he’d seen him, his tousled hair, probably from over-exerting himself, adding to his look. His voice had awakened something inside of Kuroo, something tinged with nostalgia, similar to the feeling of coming home after a long trip. And yet…He seemed _angry_.

Oh, yes, Kuroo had been kind of a jerk, hadn’t he? He smiled awkwardly, placing a hand on the nape of his neck.

“…Hi?”

The lawyer craned his neck to look inside of the apartment, but Akaashi blocked his view. The writer crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. “I asked you a question, Kuroo-san, so please answer.”

Inside the apartment, Bokuto’s heart was beating louder than ever – He’d have recognized that voice anywhere in the world, and although he knew he shouldn’t want to, his only wish was to brush past Akaashi and take Kuroo in his arms, pressing a long kiss to his lips and telling him never to abandon them again. _I need to go there. I need to be there._

Before he even took his first step, however, Tsukishima placed a hand on his arm, squeezing tightly.

“Don’t”, he muttered through his teeth.

Tsukishima wasn’t any better off himself, although he wouldn’t show it if hell froze over. Gaze locked on Akaashi’s back, only able to see a tuft of bedhead from that angle, his lips automatically curled into a snarl, attitude turning glacial. The nerve of this man! After everything he’d done, he would simply show up on their doorstep like a kicked puppy, hoping for… What, exactly? He’d found his soulmate, right? Was he here to rub that in their faces?

And yet, Kuroo’s presence was affecting him far more than he’d have liked to, and to his dismay it wasn’t only anger he was feeling. He supposed he could have blamed it on the soulmark, but he wouldn’t lie to himself as blatantly as that – A part of him would always love Tetsurou, despite everything.

“Look, Akaashi, I know you _really_ don’t like me right now, but please let me in, I really have to tell you guys something. It’s urgent.”

The agitation in Kuroo’s tone was palpable. The desperation in his eyes – Crystal clear. Without wanting to, Akaashi felt his glare faltering, as he looked at Kuroo with absolute sincerity, exhaustion barely concealed within his features.

He was _tired_. Tired of having to deal with thoughts of this man who had abandoned them, tired of pretending he didn’t miss him, tired of avoiding thinking about Kuroo’s newfound soulmate. And now the lawyer would actually show up to their door? He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take, but for now he knew he had to at least keep him from entering the apartment - Bokuto and Tsukishima weren’t stable enough to deal with this bullshit either. The writer opened his mouth, gathering his confidence, and yet to his dismay only a small whisper left his lips.

“I’m asking you to leave, Kuroo-san. Please.”

It probably served to prove to Kuroo that he, once again, was the dumbest man in the world. Why would he have expected to be received nicely? What, had he thought that he’d show up, offer a quick apology, and suddenly everything would come back to normal?

It also showed how dumb he was because it was the first time that he understood that his soulmates had been hurting just as badly, if not worse – And it was all because of him. Because he hadn’t sat down to have a calm discussion with them, because he’d refused to even consider that they might want him back. Because he’d been a _coward_.

…But he was done with that. This was just like a trial in court – He had to step forward, present his case, convince the jury and win. A few weeks ago, this would have only evoked anxiety inside of Kuroo - But now he knew, despite his imminent doubts, that he was 1) a capable man, 2) a _good_ lawyer who can make it on his own, and 3) _destined_ to be with Bokuto, Tsukishima and Akaashi no matter what.

So if it was a trial they wanted, well, he could handle that.

Tetsurou looked at Akaashi, then straightened up his posture, craning his head to look over his ex-boyfriend, staring straight at Tsukishima and Bokuto. Before the writer could make any other movement, he yelled:

“Bo, dude, we’re soulmates!”

He took advantage of Akaashi’s now slack jaw as he brushed past him, quickly coming face to face with the man he’d pined after for so long, only to realize that everything he’d ever wanted could now become a reality.

Tetsurou stood in the middle of the room, back straight under the three stares burning a hole through him. His gaze softened as he took everyone in – Despite their tired looks, their coldness towards him was apparent and he wouldn’t lie and say that that didn’t hurt. He looked Tsukishima in the eyes, the man that had let himself fall in love with him after puns and lame dates, only to be abandoned yet another time by a soulmate, as he plead his case.

“Look, I know I messed up. I’m really, terribly sorry. And Bo, if you’ve found your soulmate in the meantime, I’m sorry too, but I am 90% sure you didn’t, so _please_ , take a seat on the couch and let me explain.”

He looked around expectantly, and yet everyone seemed frozen in place, forms stiff as ever. Only Tsukishima managed to speak up, or rather snarl out a response, indecipherable look on his face, although Kuroo knew he was only trying hard to maintain a facade.

“And why should we believe your explanations? Last time you spoke to us you’d found your own little soulmate, hadn’t you? Or did you abandon him too, since apparently it’s a competitive sport for you?”

…This was good. Questions, he could answer – It was silence he didn’t know what to do with. Kuroo just had to plead his case. He was good at that.

“There’s no soulmate. The guy on the phone was Kenma, my best friend, and I panicked when he picked up and I heard Akaashi’s voice. I thought you were with Bokuto’s soulmate and wanted to flaunt him, and I’m proud as hell and I didn’t want you to think I was lonely. And yes, I was a jerk and I don’t expect you guys to instantly forgive me, I don’t deserve that, but what I’m saying is true, I promise.”

Kuroo finished his statement, breathing heavily. He was nervous, no doubt, and desperate as hell, but he had to concentrate on his task. He had to make them understand – He _had to._

Tsukishima, Bokuto and Akaashi seemed to instantly lock gazes, a telepathic conversation going on between them. Alright, the jury was deliberating – He could do it. He just had to convince them to let him tell his story – If they forgave him - incredible, wonderful, _amazing_. If they didn’t, at least he knew he’d tried – Yes, he’d be sorrowful for years on end, especially after the new information he’d stumbled upon, and yet he understood how much he had hurt them and, well… Ah, who was he fooling? They _had_ to forgive him; If they didn’t, he had no idea how the hell he would go on. 

Akaashi opened his mouth, no doubt ready to ask him yet another question, and that’s when Bokuto suddenly spoke over him, surprising everyone:

“We’ll listen.”

His tone was shakier than his soulmates had ever heard from him, tinged with some emotion Bokuto himself couldn’t describe. What Kuroo was saying sounded impossible – The two of them being soulmates? And it would make them so stupid, if it were true – All this time, could they have been yearning for each other, Kuroo being just as in love with him as he was? All this time, could they have been soulmates?

Bokuto couldn’t fathom a way in which the lawyer’s statement was possible, and yet if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that if there was the slightest chance Kuroo and he could be together, despite the world of hurt he’d just gone through, he wanted to listen.

Kuroo seemed touched, as he smiled sincerely at his ex-best-friend, coming up to him and gently grabbing his hands. Golden eyes met his, emanating trust, before he opened his mouth, tone softer than ever – He _loved_ Bokuto and he wasn’t going to hide it anymore.

“Bro, remember how we met?”

Bokuto nodded meekly, question clear on his lips as he waited for an explanation. The lawyer’s lips curled into a cheeky, yet fond smile.

“The night before, when we were both at the party, didn’t you lose your pants, by any chance?”

It was as if Kuroo had activated a memory lodged deep inside of the vet’s brain, as his eyes widened, mouth agape – He _had_ lost his pants, hadn’t he? That’s how he’d met Oikawa for the first time as well, since he was the one who had given him his pants back before he went to sleep!

That’s when it finally clicked. _They were soulmates._ They were soulmates! They were…soulmates?

As if Bokuto needed further convincing, Kuroo peeled his sleeve down, showing his third tattoo:

_“Look, I’ve lost my pants, but at least I’ve found myself.”_

A wide grin formed on Bokuto’s face, eyes shining brightly with unspilled tears.

“Hey hey hey! I did lose them… And I came up to _you_ to talk about it!”

Kuroo’s grin mirrored his. From a distance, it was probably a hilarious image, the two grinning at each other with tears in their eyes, tightly holding each other’s hands. And yet, either would argue that there was no better moment in the entire world than that when they found out they belonged together.

“And we were both so fucking drunk, Bo, so absolutely wasted, that we didn’t remember anything afterwards.”

The two broke out into giggles, the tears spilling freely now. It was as if the sun was finally shining after months of darkness, and as if a love story seven years in the making was finally coming true: _They were soulmates._

Without further ado, Bokuto pressed his lips to Kuroo’s, all of his feelings hitting him like a freight train as he held onto his hands for dear life. And when the two separated, the love he saw in his eyes was _clearer_ than ever.

“I love you, Bo. Have, ever since our first year, when you spilled water on my notebooks as a prank and then bought me food when I got mad. I still wrote on them, just because they reminded me of you, you loser.”

He then turned towards his other two soulmates, his serious tone betrayed by the smile that wouldn’t leave his face.

“And I love you guys too, even though I acted like an absolute asshole. I was so stuck in my own world, and I was so selfish… But I promise I’ll make it up to you, if you let me?”

Tsukishima and Akaashi shared a look. And if any of them had tears in their eyes, well, nobody would mention it afterwards; They then surveyed Bokuto and Kuroo’s grins, the pure happiness in their eyes, before wordlessly walking up to the lawyer, tightly wrapping their arms around him.

“…Never do this again. And we _will_ talk more in-depth about this”, muttered Akaashi seriously. He then broke out in one of the fondest smiles of his. "Also, we love you too.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes aggravatedly, blush high on his face.

“You’re an asshole.” He pressed his forehead to Kuroo’s, looking at him over his glasses. “And I swear you don’t deserve this second chance.”

Finally, the blond sighed deeply, before taking off his glasses and pressing a quick peck to Kuroo’s lips.

“But I love you too.”

Kuroo knew they still had a lot to work through and that there would be far too many lengthy discussions until they fully fixed things, and yet for the first time, pressed between his _three_ soulmates, he felt like he finally _belonged._

***

“There he goes. Leaving his parents and heading to owl-college”, spoke Kuroo solemnly, petting Hootini’s head through the small cage they’d placed him in, smiling at the small eyes looking up at him.

“Are you sure we can’t keep him for longer? Maybe he isn’t ready!”, whined Bokuto, biting the inside of his cheek as he looked down at the bird. “I’m a vet, I can tell them he has to stay with us and they’ll listen!”

Akaashi patted his back fondly, hugging one of his arms. “Kou, you’re a vet. You should know better than all of us that he has to be released into the wild.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure that, besides _all_ of his natural predators, he’ll do well”, smirked Tsukishima, taking long, lazy steps behind them.

Bokuto instantly screamed out, taking the cage out of Kuroo’s hands and hugging it to his chest. “We can’t let him go into the wild with all the predators around! Right, Hootini?”, he looked down at the small bird, smiling at it with so much love that it could make all three of his soulmates jealous.

Kuroo rolled his eyes fondly, pressing a kiss to Bokuto’s forehead, then turning his head towards Tsukishima and extending his hand with a smirk.

“Tsukki, stop being mean and come here, we can all tell you’re walking behind us because you’re hiding your tears, love.”

Even though the blond muttered a small “Tch”, he headed towards his soulmate nevertheless, trying to avoid looking at Hootini, lest he would probably actually start crying.

Akaashi came up to him and grabbed his other hand, a coy smile on his face. “You’re cute when you’re like this, Kei.”

The blush adorning the blond’s face, as two of his soulmates proudly admired the view? Immaculate.

And as they finally arrived at the hill they would be releasing the bird on, everyone had silently agreed not to mention the tears brimming in their eyes ever again. Bokuto kneeled down, slowly opening the cage, expecting Hootini to quickly make his escape.

The owl, however, chirped happily before hopping onto his hand, extending his head in order to be pet.

Bokuto’s tears flew freely – He just loved that owl so much! He pat Hootini’s head before handing him to Kuroo, then Tsukishima, and finally Akaashi, who muttered a few intelligible words towards the bird. Lastly, he took him back, staring in his small eyes with a proud smile.

Before he could start crying again, he felt Kuroo’s reassuring hand on his back.

“He’ll miss us, bro, but he’s got to live in nature with his owl pals.”

Bokuto turned his head towards him, naïve eyes wide. “Do you think he’s got other owl friends too?”

“I’m sure of it”, the lawyer smiled softly.

Kissing the top of the bird’s head, Bokuto quickly opened his hands to the sky, letting the owl extend its wings, flying in a circle above his owners before chirping once more and flying towards the nearest tree.

“They grow up so fast”, Kuroo smiled proudly, pretending to wipe a tear from his eyes and having the audacity to appear surprised upon finding one there.

Bokuto hugged him from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. “It’s alright, love, you can cry. I’m sure he’ll miss us.”

“I don’t think he can miss Kuroo, since he’ll think every nest he sees is actually his hair”, Tsukishima smirked behind him, but his squeaky voice and the tears flowing freely betrayed his cool demeanor. The best friends turned lovers quickly went up to him and engulfed him in a tight hug.

“Aww, Tsukki has feelings?”

“We love you, Tsukki!”

His voice was still squeaky as he wiped at his tears. “Shut the hell up, both of you!”

In the meantime, Akaashi was staring at his three soulmates with a wide smile on his face. He thought about Hootini, and how it was because of him they’d found each other. He thought about everything they’d gone through until they got to where they were, and realized how it was all worth it in the long run. It was then that he finally found the right way to finish his book.

_“I have three soulmates; One of them can only be compared to the snow on the road on a cold winter day, his mind just as beautiful, yet just as deadly for any car that stumbles upon it. The second one is the salt shaken over it in order to stop any car from spinning and going off the track – Always holding us together, despite the rough exterior. The third one, he’s the sun – Slowly but surely melting at the snow, just like each and every one of his smiles can melt any of our doubts away when he gleams at us._

_…And I?_

_Well, I’m just a small bird in a tree, looking at the three in amazement, wondering how I got so lucky as to stumble upon them.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...I'm...I finished it?? I'm speechless, y'all. (Now you know where the title comes from, too!!)
> 
> This is going to be really long, since I'm really emotional, so feel free to skip over it!
> 
> I've never really written anything longer than, say, 6000 words? And when I found the original script for this fanfic that I wrote four years ago, I was terrified of writing it - And I originally thought it would be 25 000 words at best, too!! I've never really trusted my writing skills, either - But I really feel like I've improved these past few months :)
> 
> I really wanted to thank you guys!! I only posted this because I thought maybe one or two people may get a kick out of it, and then I actually got a lot of comments on it? And all the kudos, the bookmarks, hell, even the hits - They have been such an encouragement to me, it's incredible!! Thank you so so much to everyone who has stuck around to read this trainwreck of a fic, and thank you so much to those who kept commenting on every chapter!! Sometimes I wanted to give up on the fic, but seeing your comments always made my day and kept me motivated, so I really can't thank you enough!!
> 
> Now that it's over, I'm feeling sort of weird? Like, I'm going to miss talking to all of you in the comments, and I'm going to miss writing and re-reading chapters all day, to be fair - Maybe if one day I get to writing another fic, I'll see y'all again?
> 
> Nevertheless, it was an incredible experience, and I'm so glad I had you guys along for the ride!! 
> 
> For the last time ever on this fic, thank you so so much for reading and commenting, and I hope you guys have a lovely day!! <3


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